The Madras High Court has observed that the government should avoid using educational institutions as the venue for conducting events, such as exhibitions highlighting the achievements of the government, various schemes and services it offers for the benefit of different sections of people.
Justice N. Kirubakaran made the observation while disposing of a writ petition which sought to restrain the conduct of one such exhibition at Chikkanna Government Arts College in Tiruppur.
The judge refused to issue an injunction, as prayed for, since the petitioner had approached the court at the eleventh hour.
Stating that the result of the case could have been different if the writ petition had been filed much earlier, the judge said the government should ensure that the atmosphere in educational institutions do not get vitiated by conducting events unconnected to education and other incidental activities.
In so far as the present case was concerned, the judge ordered that the exhibition could go on in the government college on the condition that the officials concerned plant 25 trees on the campus for every single tree that was cut. They should also level the playground of the institution after the conclusion of the event.