Delhi HC to hear PIL on alleged commercialization of education in private schools

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday agreed to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the alleged commercialization of education in CBSE-affiliated private schools, particularly the exclusion of students from Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

A Bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued notices to the Delhi government, the CBSE and the NCERT, seeking their response on the matter.

The petition, filed by Jasmit Singh Sahni, Director of Doon School, through advocate Satyam Singh Rajput, claimed that private schools are compelling parents to buy costly books from private publishers, amounting to Rs 10,000–12,000 annually. This, it argued, forces EWS families to withdraw their children from schools, undermining the Right to Education (RTE) Act mandate that reserves 25 per cent of seats for disadvantaged groups.

The plea highlighted that while the Delhi government provides Rs 5,000 per year as reimbursement, the costs imposed by private schools far exceed this amount. It also pointed out that despite CBSE circulars mandating exclusive use of NCERT books, schools continue to prescribe expensive alternatives from private publishers.

According to the petition, NCERT books cost about Rs 700 annually, whereas private publishers’ books can cost more than Rs 10,000. RTI applications filed between April and May 2024 revealed that NCERT lacks implementation mechanisms for its textbook guidelines, while CBSE has no statutory framework or penalties to enforce compliance.

The PIL proposed that if private publishers’ books are used due to NCERT shortages, a “Fixed Rate – Fixed Weight System” should be introduced to regulate prices, based on objective factors such as page count, paper quality and adherence to the National Curriculum Framework (NCF).

The matter is scheduled for further hearing on November 12.