High Court wants L-G to empower school management panels

Delhi LG Anil Baijal.

The Delhi High Court has directed the Lieutenant Governor to provide adequate rights to the School Management Committees (SMCs) — constituted and elected in government and government-aided schools of Delhi — to exercise their power under the provisions of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar passed the direction while hearing the petition of NGO Justice For All, represented by its counsel Khagesh B Jha.

The bench directed the L-G to take a decision within six weeks, besides constituting SMCs in MCD-run schools under the provisions of the RTE Act. The bench also provided liberty to the petitioner to approach the court if the L-G did not take the decision within the time period. ENS