SC stays HC order asking schools to give gadgets to poor

New Delhi, Feb. 10: The Supreme Court Wednesday stayed the Delhi High Court verdict which directed private unaided as well as government schools like Kendriya Vidyalayas’ to provide gadgets and internet packages to students from economically weaker section (EWS) or disadvantaged group for online classes during the Covid-19 lockdown.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde agreed to hear the plea filed by the Delhi government challenging the high court judgement of September 18 last year.

Issue notice. In the meantime, there shall be stay of operation of the impugned order of the high court, the bench, also comprising Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian, said in its order.

A division bench of the high court had directed that cost of gadgets and internet package are not a part of tuition fee and have to be provided free of cost to these students by the schools, subject to the right of private unaided schools to claim reimbursement from the state in accordance with provision of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.

While staying the verdict, the apex court also issued notices to NGO Justice for All’, on whose petition the high court had delivered the judgement, and others on Delhi government’s plea.

Senior advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for Delhi government, told the bench that additional burden has been put on the state by the high court verdict.

We are already spending a lot on the education front, Singh told the bench.

The bench, while observing that the apex court had earlier delivered a verdict on a similar issue in a case arising out of Himachal Pradesh, asked Singh to place that judgement before it.

The high court had delivered the judgement on a plea filed by the NGO seeking directions to the Centre and the Delhi government to provide free laptops, tablets or mobile phones to poor students so that they can access classes online during the Covid-19 lockdown.