5 days ago
RTE violations: HC asks Punjab to reply on plea for CBI probe by Sept 22
The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought a response from the Punjab government on a plea demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into alleged lapses in the implementation of Right to Education (RTE) provisions by private schools. The petition claims that private schools in Punjab were deliberately exempted from reserving seats for children from weaker sections, allegedly due to an 'ulterior motive.' he division bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sanjiv Berry has sought response from the Punjab government by September 22 on the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the KS Raju Legal Trust. (HT File)
The division bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sanjiv Berry has sought response from the Punjab government by September 22 on the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the KS Raju Legal Trust.
The plea challenges Rule 7(4) of the Punjab Right to Education Rules, 2011, arguing that it undermines the RTE Act, 2009, by preventing children from weaker sections from accessing private unaided schools.
The PIL further alleged that, for the past 15 years, private schools violated the reservation mandate without facing de-recognition, due to state inaction. Notably, in an earlier petition by the same trust, the court had, on February 19, 2025, ordered all private unaided schools to reserve 25% of Class 1 seats for such students and directed the state to ensure compliance from the 2025–26 session.
