New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday (February 28) said that Rohingya children can approach the government schools for admission and they can move the high court in case of denial of admission.
A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant and Justice N Kotiswar Singh said this while disposing of a plea filed by NGO Rohingya Human Rights Initiative.
What did the petition seek?
The petition sought direction to the Centre and the Delhi government to grant Rohingya refugees access to public schools and hospitals irrespective of Aadhaar cards and citizenship.
We want the children to first approach the government schools: Apex Court
“We want the children to first approach the government schools. If they are denied admission, they can move the high court,” the bench told senior advocate Colin Gonsalves who appeared for the petitioner NGO, and added that it had recently passed a similar order in another PIL seeking the same relief.
The apex court, while hearing the plea earlier, had said that no child will be discriminated against in getting education.
Gonsalves earlier told the court that they are refugees having United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cards and therefore they can’t have Aadhaar cards and for want of Aadhaar they are not being granted access to public schools and hospitals.
What did apex court order in another PIL seeking same relief?
The apex court recently disposed of a plea filed by Social Jurist seeking direction to the authorities concerned to grant admission to all Myanmar and Rohingya refugees, observing appropriate action for them (refugees) would be to approach the Delhi High Court if they are entitled to such admission and they are denied the same by government schools.
“The appropriate recourse for these children (Myanmar and Rohingya refugees) would be to apply to the government schools for which they are claiming themselves eligible and in the event of denial of admission, if they are entitled to such admission, the concerned children can approach the Delhi High Court. In the event of such a recourse being required, the petitioner-organization has graciously agreed to provide pro bono legal assistance to the children,” the apex court said in its order in Social Jurist case.
