The Public Interest Litigation filed in the Hon’ble High Court of Rajasthan at Jodhpur
The Committee surveyed in July 2016 to assess the implementation of the RTE Act in the district of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The survey covered 107 government schools over 20 days and identified irregularities in school infrastructure and facilities that did not comply with the Act’s mandate. The objective of this survey was to bring to the notice of the Rajasthan High Court the dilapidated condition of infrastructure in the government schools, the lack of basic amenities therein, and the low level of learning outcomes from the school due to sub-standard education being imparted to the students.
The findings were compiled in a letter petition addressed to the Hon’ble Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, Jodhpur Bench, which was subsequently treated as a writ petition in the public interest by the High Court in the matter of Legal Aid and Awareness Committee v. NLU, Jodhpur v. State of Rajasthan & Ors. (D.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 6815/2017). The Court directed the state government to improve school infrastructure and provide a report within a specified time frame.
Subsequently, a division bench of the Rajasthan High Court acknowledged the shortcomings in primary schools in Rajasthan, based on the RTE survey and data presented by the Committee. The Court ordered the government to comply with the RTE Act’s norms in 50 of the 107 schools surveyed. The Committee again conducted a survey along with the District Legal Services Authority to collect data on the level of quality education being imparted to students, as per the High Court’s orders. The data was used to prepare a report, which was submitted to the Hon’ble High Court. The Committee’s efforts have brought about a positive change in the primary education system in Rajasthan. The petition is still ongoing in the Rajasthan High Court, led by the Committee’s pro bono lawyers from its legal aid cell.