HC seeks fresh affidavit from Punjab on school dropout crisis among girls

Just about eight months after the Punjab and Haryana High Court took cognizance of a news-report published in The Tribune on the plight of students — especially girls — forced to drop out of high school and higher secondary school, a Division Bench has directed the State of Punjab to file a fresh affidavit in the matter.As the suo motu, or “Court on its own motion”, case came up for resumed hearing, the Bench observed that the court — while taking cognizance of the matter on July 25, 2024 — was particularly disturbed by the news-item highlighting the lack of high schools and higher secondary schools, especially for girls, which led to a high dropout rate.The Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel asserted that the reply filed by the Punjab Government primarily addressed co-ed schools. Calling for a fresh affidavit, the Bench fixed April 7 as the next date of hearing.

Taking suo motu cognizance of the news-report in July last year, the Bench had made the Punjab Secretary, Department of Higher Education, a party to the litigation, “keeping in view the public interest issue involved”, before issuing a notice of motion.

“The state counsel is directed to submit a report regarding the plight of students in high schools (10th) and higher secondary schools (11th and 12th), especially girls, who are compelled to drop out due to the lack of infrastructure and even the absence of schools along the Patiala-Rajpura highway, as highlighted in the news report published in The Tribune on July 23, 2024,” the Bench had stated.

The state counsel was also directed to place on record the policy regarding the establishment of higher secondary schools and explain why there was no higher secondary school for girls between Patiala and Rajpura.