M. Satyanarayana Murthy, J.

1. A Registered Old Students Association, Post Graduate College, Osmania University, represented by its General Secretary - Sri A. Ramakrishna filed this writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, as a public spirited person and resorted to this pro bono litigation seeking writ of Mandamus to the official respondents to declare their acts of involving school children in rallies, gathering of any kind during school timings and on weekends as a form of captive audience, as illegal and unconstitutional.

2. The petitioner claiming to be a public spirited person having no direct interest in the litigation, filed this petition to protect the rights and interest of school children across the State, alleging that the Government of Andhra Pradesh has belatedly realized the value of public participation in dealing with recurring social problems. Unfortunately it has also grasped the political advantages of mobilizing the public for a good non-political cause and then finally portraying the enthusiastic public response towards said non-political cause as an endorsement of the government's policies and politics, irrespective of how unpopular they may be in reality. Often, a non-political gathering by citizens to raise awareness of any certain social evil or problem is hijacked by the ruling party's workers who promptly give the gathering a political colour. Certain elements of the media are then used to propagate the fallacy that common people are gathering to support the government's policies, no matter how illogical or against the public interest it may be.

3. The Government of Andhra Pradesh has started a new trend of mobilizing school children for rallies and public marches which are often co-ordinated by the teachers and school staff with the ruling party's workers. These rallies and marches are often conducted during school hours in the middle of the day, which results in school children being required by their teachers and school management to skip classes and march on the roads, chanting slogans and engaging in activities normally done by seasoned political party workers. Often, the school children and teachers have to cope with the extra burden of making up for lost school time, while the government has immorally gained political mileage and media exposure for their policies by using school children as a sort of hired mob and captive audience.

4. On 14.07.2018 at Pasuvulanka, East Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, a boat carrying 31 people, mostly students, collided with a bridge under construction, across the Godavari river and capsized. Six female students drowned and after a massive rescue effort by divers from the Indian Navy and other central government agencies 25 children and people were rescued. It has been alleged that the students who were from the government high school at Pasuvulanka, East Godavari District were forced by their school staff and the official respondents to travel to Talavaripalemlanka (which is across the Godavari River) to participate in a government conducted programme called "Vanam-Manam" on the same day.

5. Thus, it is evident from the incident that the students were forced and compelled to participate in the programme by the official respondents despite the fact that it was a holiday and weather conditions were very bad, which made them to travel by boat, a hazardous venture. The boat which had a capacity of only 15 people, was loaded with 31 people without any life jackets and basic precautions. In fact the boat was operating in complete violation of Government order G.O.Ms. No. 667 dated 16.11.2017 issued by the Water Resources Department as admitted by the Collector of East Godavari District. It is further contended that the very fact, demonstrates the callous disregard, the official respondents have for the safety and well-being of students, since there was absolutely no reason for the students to risk their lives and forego a school holiday to