An NGO called Justice for All, filed a plea in Delhi HC for directions to the Delhi Government to ensure that children belonging to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) are provided with free laptops/ipads and high speed internet for ensuring their access to online classes conducted by schools.
The plea requested the Delhi Government to remove all the barriers that children belonging to EWS group or Disadvantaged Group (DG) are facing with regards to accessing online study materials and lectures classes conducted through video conferencing.
Citing section 3(2) of Right to Education Act, the Petitioner claimed that:
‘The respondents are duty bound to ensure the child belonging to weaker section and the child belonging to disadvantaged group are not discriminated against and prevented from pursuing and completing elementary education on any ground. The children having equipments are getting education and EWS kids having no means are sitting idle at home which prevents them from getting education.’
The Petitioner further submitted that under section 7(c) of the RTE Act, a duty shall be imposed on the appropriate government that the children belonging to weaker section and disadvantage group are not discriminated against and prevented from completing elementary education on any ground and section 7(d) imposing the duty to provide proper infrastructure and learning equipments.
The petitioner stated that even RTE Rules do not cover laptops and tablets but it should be given wider interpretation considering the extraordinary circumstances.
Therefore, the Petitioner urged for the court’s direction to the Delhi Government to ensure that its duties under the RTE Act are exercised and all the barriers on the way of EWS students getting online education is removed.
