Assam: Free education to poor students in private schools

HC gives ‘last opportunity’ to Dispur

Staff Reporter 

Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court on Monday expressed its ire at the state Department of School Education for not making operational the web portal related to the provision of free education to children from economically weaker sections of society, despite earlier orders by the HC and the promises made by the department concerned. A ‘last opportunity’ was given to the said department to make the web portal, to facilitate the admission of such students, operational by December 15.

The bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice N. Unni Krishnan Nair came down heavily on the Department of School Education while hearing a public interest litigation case (PIL/30/2023) filed by We For Guwahati Foundation and two others regarding the admission of students in un-aided and non-minority schools in Assam as prescribed in Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. A web portal to facilitate the students was planned to be launched.

The petitioners filed the PIL being aggrieved by the non-implementation of Section 12(1)(c) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. It was stated that the state government had previously issued the requisite notifications, mandating that all the un-aided educational institutions ensure strict compliance with the mandate of Section 12(1)(c) of the Act of 2009, which stipulates that all such institutions in the neighbourhood shall admit in Class I, up to at least twenty-five percent of the strength of that class, children belonging to the weaker sections and disadvantaged groups and provide free and compulsory elementary education. Yet, many of the institutions that have been impleaded as party respondents in the present petition refused to admit the children.

The department had assured the HC that the web portal would be made functional by November 21, but in the instant hearing on Monday, R. Mazumdar, the standing counsel, Department of School Education, appearing for the State, produced an office memorandum dated November 24, 2024, issued by the said department, wherein certain directions have been given to the authorities concerned for making the web portal operational. The counsel admitted to the fact that till date the web portal has not been made operational.

It is to be noticed that the State has been seeking time for the last several months for making the said web portal operational. Earlier it was stated that on account of the operation of the Model Code of Conduct, the requisite steps could not be taken. Now, it was stated that some technical support is required for the operation of the web portal, and therefore, some more time be given.

Taking into consideration that enough time has already been granted to the state government, the bench was not inclined to give further time. However, in the ‘interest of justice,’ the bench gave a last opportunity up to December 15, 2024, to make the said web portal operational.

The bench made it clear that if, by the next date of hearing on December 16, 2024, the state government is not able to make the said web portal operational, it will be forced to call upon the authority responsible for the same.

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