The Rajasthan High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation opposing the decision of the railway authorities to close down the railway senior secondary school at Abu road, which was operating since year 1862.
Case of the Petitioner
The case of the petitioner was that the entire region is a tribal belt, which has only two public schools, one government school and the present school, which has been operating since 1862. Petitioners alleged that it would be tragic to shut down the school which is catering to the students coming from lower strata families and have been taking education at the said centre since more than a century. Via school photographs, the petitioners showed that the facilities created by the railway authorities are in good condition. It was pointed out that as recently as five years back sizeable expenditure was made in repairing the facilities.
Case of the Respondent
In contrast, the case of the railway authorities was that over the period, the number of students in this school has been dwindling. The authorities produced charts along with an affidavit indicating the total number of students in past ten academic sessions to demonstrate this phenomenon.
Observation of the Court
The Court made it vivid that the decision to shut the school shall not be implemented till the end of the current academic term.“Further the school administration shall make all necessary efforts and arrangements to ensure that the students who are admitted in school in 11 th standard secure admissions in other school in 12 th standard if they pass out from the 11 th standard”.
Case Details
Before: Rajasthan High Court
Case Title: Arvind Sharma v. North- West Railway and Ors.
Coram: Hon’ble Chief Justice Akil Kuresh and Justice Sudesh Bansal
Picture Source :