Bombay HC forms state level panel to deal with unethical activities in govt schools

The court also sought to know from the state government the amount spent for the academic year 2023-24 for the well being of schools under RTE Act.

A division bench of Justices Ravindra V Ghuge and Y G Khobragade last month was hearing suo motu PIL, raising concerns over the unfit conditions of government schools across the state. (File photo)

The Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court has recently formed a state level committee with former HC judge Anuja Prabhudessai as its chairperson to suggest, monitor and oversee actions dealing with ‘grim conditions’ of schools operated by local authorities such as Zilla Parishad, Panchayat Samiti, Municipal Council and Municipal Corporation, which have been used for for unethical, impermissible or offensive activities.

The court also sought to know from the state government the amount spent for the academic year 2023-24 for the well being of schools under RTE Act.

A division bench of Justices Ravindra V Ghuge and Y G Khobragade last month was hearing suo motu PIL, raising concerns over the unfit conditions of government schools across the state. The court had taken cognisance of a news report showing a photograph wherein students of a ‘smart school’, were sitting on the floor with empty bottles of liquor lying around them with disconnected electricity supply.

Story continues below this ad

Earlier, the HC had asked Superintendents of Police (SP) in all districts in the state to ensure that schools run by Zilla Parishad and civic bodies are adequately protected against trespassing.

The bench had said that it should be done not only by deploying security guards but also by adopting a mechanism through which the bootleggers, gamblers and drug peddlers would not get a scope to enter the premises after school hours, especially in the night.

On August 22, the bench formed a state-level panel comprising of former HC judge, a former Chief Secretary who has demitted office within last five years along with Director of Education (convenor), Chief Engineer Public Works Department (PWD) and Additional Director General of Police along with Amicus Curiae Rashmi Kulkarni, the lawyer who assisted the bench in the case as it members.

Kulkarni also referred to a Government Resolution of August 21, 2024 dealing with the security and well being of students admitted in such schools. The said GR recommended measures and provided that 5 % of District Planning Committee (DPC) funds to be utilised for installation of CCTV security system and other infrastructure facilities for students’ safety.

Story continues below this ad

The court was informed that under The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act), for Academic year 2023-24, an amount of Rs. 998. 79 crore was generated by the central government for Maharashtra and the state government was to contribute Rs. 708 crore to it and the funding was on 60-40 percent proportion, with central government contributing the higher portion.

The bench directed the state government lawyer to provide data showing amounts received from centre and state and the amount spent for the academic year 2023-24.

The HC will hear the PIL next on September 5.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Loading Taboola...

Disquiet in film board: ‘Censorship raj’, no meeting in 6 years, no reports, term lapsed

3 hr ago

A controversial decision-making process has set off divisions within the CBFC, and cast a long regulatory shadow on the Indian film industry as it aspires to be a global player . The Indian Express spoke to several top filmmakers and board members to find that a not-so-silent storm is brewing within the fraternity — and inside the CBFC, too — over what many call a “one-man show”.

View all shorts

Live Blog