IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
Siddhartha Varma, J.
C/M. Sukhdeo Singh Kanya Laghu Madhyamik Vidyalaya and Another – Petitioners
Versus
State of U.P. and Others – Respondents
Writ (C) No. 14888 of 2017
Decided On : 27-10-2021
Constitution of India,1950 - Grant-in-aid - Account of their production of forged papers - Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 - U.P. Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Rules, 2011 - Committees were formed second at State Level and thereafter at Directorate Level - Directorate Level Committee upon getting all names of institutions which were desirous of getting grant-in-aid, prepared a list of 204 institutions - Petitioner-institution not granted the aid, then Manager - Basic Education upon considering the representation of petitioner held that since the petitioner-institution stood at Serial girls institutions were to be granted aid, petitioner-institution could not be granted aid - Upon getting knowledge of fact that certain institutions which were contained in the list of 200 institutions had been squeezed out on account of their production of forged papers Manager of petitioner-institution - categorically in paragraph grant given to four institutions in the list of institutions had been withdrawn as they had placed certain forged documents - Petitioners' representation be decided in light of the observations made in the judgment petitioners' representation was rejected – Held, Court is of the view that when list of 200 institutions was published had four institutions which had been ousted from the list, not been put in the list, then the petitionerinstitution would have definitely been at Serial - Case of petitioners is not that petitioner-institution had attained eligibility on a subsequent date. In fact the case of the petitioners if four institutions which had been subsequently ousted were not there, then petitioner-institution would have definitely been in the list of institutions which were to be granted the aid orders are being passed, especially last order - Court also finds that reasons given in orders were not available to the State Authorities for ousting the petitioner-institution from list by which the grant-in-aid was to be granted - Court definitely holds that petitioner-institution was entitled to be included in the list of 200 institutions which was published was also entitled for getting grant-in-aid on date - Writ of mandamus is being issued to grant aid to the petitioner-institution with effect from the date institutions which were included in list - All arrears be granted to petitioner-institution within a period of two months also imposed on the Joint Secretary who has passed the order - Writ petition stands allowed.
JUDGMENT :
Siddhartha Varma, J.
1. When a Government Order was issued on 7.9.2006 to include 200 junior girls high schools in the list of grant-in-aid, the petitioner-institution which was granted permanent recognition on 23.4.1999 considering itself to be an eligible institution, applied for the grant-in-aid. Three committees were formed; one at the District Level; second at the State Level and thereafter at the Directorate Level. On 28.11.2006 the Directorate Level Committee upon getting all the names of the institutions which were desirous of getting grant-in-aid, prepared a list of 204 institutions. When the petitioner-institution was, however, not granted the aid, the then Manager Smt. Nand Kumari Tiwari on 9.12.2006 represented to the Secretary, Basic Education that the petitioner-institution be also included in the list of institutions which were to be granted aid. When no heed was paid to the application of the petitioner-institution, a writ petition being Writ Petition No. 51152 of 2007 (Committee of Management, Sukhdeo Singh Kanya Laghu Madhyamik Vidyalaya & Anr. vs. State of U.P. & Ors.) was filed. This writ petition was disposed of on 28.7.2009 with a direction to the Secretary, Basic Education to decide the representation of the petitioner by a reasoned and speaking order within a period of three months from the date of presentation of a certified copy of the order dated 28.7.2009. The Manager of the petitioner-institution represented along with the judgment of the High Court dated 28.7.2009. On 23.4.2010, the Secretary, Basic Education upon considering the representation of the petitioner held that since the petitioner-institution stood at Serial No. 201 and only 200 girls institutions were to be granted the aid, the petitioner-institution could not be granted the aid. Upon getting knowledge of the fact that certain institutions which were contained in the list of 200 institutions had been squeezed out on account of their production of forged papers etc., the Manager of the petitioner-institution on 21.4.2011 again applied for being included in the list of grant-in-aid. When no action was taken on the petitioners' application, the petitioners again filed a writ petition being Writ-C No. 37211 of 2011 (C/M Sukhdeo Singh Kanya Laghu Madhyamik Vidyalaya & Anr. vs. State of U.P. & Ors.). In this writ petition, categorically in paragraph nos.18 to 20, it was stated that the grant given to four institutions in the list of 200 institutions had been withdrawn as they had placed certain forged documents. On 31.3.2014, Writ-C No. 37211 of 2011 was disposed of holding that the institutions which were eligible on 7.9.2006 i.e. the date when the Government Order was issued, alone were to be considered as eligible institutions and thereafter a further direction was also issued that the petitioners' representation be decided in the light of the observations made in the judgment dated 31.3.2014. On 27.3.2015, the petitioners' representation was rejected. Amongst other grounds on the basis of which the rejection order was passed a ground was taken that within three kilometers of the petitioner-institution, there were Parishadiya Schools/private schools which were aided, were running and, therefore, the petitioner-institution could not be granted the aid. It was also stated in the order dated 27.3.2015 that since 1000 schools already had been taken for the grant-in-aid as per the Government Order dated 7.9.2006, no further inclusion could be done. The petitioner again filed a writ petition being Writ-C No. 26241 of 2015 (C/M Sukhdeo Singh Kanya Laghu Madhyamik Vidyalaya & Anr. vs. State of U.P. & Ors.) and submitted that the order dated 27.3.2015 was not sustainable as the grounds which had been taken in the impugned order were not available to the State when the Government Order dated 7.9.2006 was issued. The Writ Petition No. 26241 of 2015 was allowed by the order dated 18.7.2016 and it was observed that the only issue which had t
when the petitioner-institution had been ousted from the list of selected institutions which was issued on 2.12.2006, then subsequently if the petitioner-institution was eligible, it could not be inc....
The court established that an institution's right to grant-in-aid crystallizes under earlier government orders, and arbitrary denial based on newer policies violates constitutional rights.
The importance of following committee recommendations, principles of natural justice, and equal treatment of institutions in grant-in-aid decisions.
The central legal point established in the judgment is the discriminatory refusal of financial approval by the State Government, in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution of India, despite admin....
The court emphasized the importance of compliance with grant-in-aid conditions and the violation of principles of natural justice in administrative decisions.
Ensuring adherence to governmental provisions regarding educational grants is vital for institutional funding.
The court emphasized the importance of due process and directed the Competent Authority to consider the petitioner's representation and make a decision within a specified time frame.
The importance of teacher approval for salary grants and the criteria for granting aid to educational institutions as per the Government Resolutions.
Once the decision has been taken to release the grant-in-aid, it should be released uniformly without putting any riders in the same.
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