Gauhati HC asks private institutions to provide free education to BPL students

The Gauhati High Court has ordered private educational institutions to give free education to 25 per cent of pupils who fall below the poverty line (BPL).

The state government was required by the court to guarantee that the applied BPL kids receive free education at private colleges.

The High Court's decision followed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the 'We for Guwahati' Foundation. They emphasised that the Right to Education department has failed to provide any directives to private educational institutions to give free education to BPL kids.

Also Read: Assam: President Droupadi Murmu launches 'Bhoroxa' mobile app for women's safety in Guwahati

The state government had filed an affidavit in court but had not followed the act's stipulations.

The court ordered the education officer to personally authenticate BPL pupils' access to free education in private schools.

Education activists who have been advocating for equitable access to education for everyone have applauded the ruling. This is likely to assist thousands of students from low-income families who were previously refused entrance to private colleges owing to budgetary constraints.

The Gauhati High Court's decision is a crucial step towards ensuring that the Right to Education Act, 2009, is successfully implemented and that education becomes available to all, regardless of economic position.