Making Stakeholders of Public Servants: Understanding Allahabad High Court Directions on Improving Government Run Primary Schools

Abstract

The State of Uttar Pradesh presents a typical example of the sad and deteriorating condition of the government run primary schools where the rot of corruption, maladministration and bureaucratic apathy runs deep and wide. It is indeed a matter of grave public concern not only because the vast majority of the population educates its children in these schools, but also because this is happening despite a substantial amount of State funds being spent on these schools. It is only obvious that most of these funds are being misappropriated by the state bureaucracy.Against this gloomy landscape of tattered primary education in the State, on 18th Aug 2015 the Allahabad High Court, irked by the casual and apathetic attitude of the State towards its primary schools, in an unprecedented decision directed the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh to ensure that every public servant sends his child of receivable age to the government run primary schools. While it would be easy to label the decision as a specimen of judicial overreach, the grim ground reality entreats us to explore the issue further and look at the various aspects, perspectives and possible fall-outs of the judgement.