Uttarakhand high court asks schools to provide library in 3 months
NAINITAL: Uttarakhand high court has directed the state government to
provide all government schools with essential articles, including
benches, desks, blackboards, computers, as well as to ensure a
well-stacked library and a well-equipped science laboratory in the
premises within a period of three months.
The court also ordered construction of separate toilets for boys and girls and to ensure that hygiene is maintained in an order delivered on Saturday.
"The head of the institution shall be personally responsible for the hygiene of the toilets," the order stated. Expressing its angst on the state of education in the state, the HC remarked, "It is a pity that even after many years of independence, we are making the children sit on mats."
The division bench of justices Rajiv Sharma and Alok Singh was hearing a PIL filed in 2014 by Deepak Rana, a resident of Dehradun, which alleged that government schools still lack basic facilities.
The court also ordered the state government to provide two sets of uniform to all students of government schools as well as aided-schools twice in a year and to provide midday meals to all students up to secondary level. The government has also been directed to ensure that all school buildings are well-lit and duly ventilated and have sufficient number of water purifiers according to the strength of the students in the schools. The court also ordered an increase in the grant for duly recognized and affiliated madrassas from Rs 5,000 to at least Rs 20,000 per annum under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan.
"All students belonging to SC & ST and BPL categories shall be paid suitable stipend, all the primary schools, upper primary schools and secondary schools shall ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. The Secretary, Education, State of Uttarakhand shall be personally responsible to comply with the directions, issued herein above, punctually and obediently," said the order.
The court also ordered construction of separate toilets for boys and girls and to ensure that hygiene is maintained in an order delivered on Saturday.
"The head of the institution shall be personally responsible for the hygiene of the toilets," the order stated. Expressing its angst on the state of education in the state, the HC remarked, "It is a pity that even after many years of independence, we are making the children sit on mats."
The division bench of justices Rajiv Sharma and Alok Singh was hearing a PIL filed in 2014 by Deepak Rana, a resident of Dehradun, which alleged that government schools still lack basic facilities.
The court also ordered the state government to provide two sets of uniform to all students of government schools as well as aided-schools twice in a year and to provide midday meals to all students up to secondary level. The government has also been directed to ensure that all school buildings are well-lit and duly ventilated and have sufficient number of water purifiers according to the strength of the students in the schools. The court also ordered an increase in the grant for duly recognized and affiliated madrassas from Rs 5,000 to at least Rs 20,000 per annum under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan.
"All students belonging to SC & ST and BPL categories shall be paid suitable stipend, all the primary schools, upper primary schools and secondary schools shall ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. The Secretary, Education, State of Uttarakhand shall be personally responsible to comply with the directions, issued herein above, punctually and obediently," said the order.
