Delhi High Court: Naveen Chawla, J. in an order dated 13th July, 2020 has refused to interdict a Delhi government circular which directed reconstitution of School Management Committees through a draw of lots instead of holding elections.The petitioners had challenged the circular dated 1.07.2020 and prayed that the circular be squashed. The petitioners argued that extending tenure of the previous SMCs was a better option than reconstituting SMCs through a draw of lots. They gave examples of other states where tenure of SMCs were extended. The counsel for the petitioner argued that it was a better option since members of existing SMCs already had experience of working.
Despite the fact that the Delhi Government has been holding elections since RTE was implemented, the respondents submitted that there was no mandate to hold elections and that the Government had issued the impugned circular only as a stopgap arrangement. The Circular shall continue till elections can be held after normalcy returns. The Counsel for the respondent government also mentioned that the petitioners had concealed that they have applied under the circular. The petitioners submitted that it was a bonafide mistake.
After listening to arguments from both sides, the Court stated that since elections cannot be held because of COVID 19, such extraordinary situations would require certain extraordinary measures to be taken by the respondents. The Court noted that respondents seem to have chosen one of the various alternatives that were available. With online classes for the Government schools having started there is an urgent need for the constitution of the SMCs. The Court did not deem it fit to interdict the process started by the respondents at the present stage.and listed the matter for October 21st.
The order has recorded the government submitting in court that the impugned circular has been issued “only as a stopgap arrangement and the SMCs so constituted by following the procedure as laid down in the impugned Circular shall continue till elections can be held after normalcy returns.” A fact that didn’t find any mention in the impugned circular dated 01.07.20.
[Indra v. Government of NCT of Delhi, Writ Petition (C) No. 4076 of 2020, order dated 13-07-2020]
