Can govt give free books,uniform to EWS kids in pvt schools:HC

Delhi High Court has asked the city government if it can provide free uniform and books to poor students in private unaided schools, saying it needs to take a "re-look" to ensure that "class divide" is not created among children.
A bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul asked senior standing counsel for Delhi government, Rahul Mehra, to take instructions on whether it can provide books and uniforms to EWS students and inform it accordingly.
The court said the government needs to "take a re-look" into the aspect as EWS kids in private unaided schools should have the same standard of uniform and books as other students in such institutions, adding that otherwise it would create a "class divide" among children.

The suggestion to the government came on a PIL seeking grant of free books and uniform to EWS children admitted to private unaided schools.
Though the court has reserved its verdict in the matter, it took it up to ascertain the government's view.
The PIL has been filed by NGO Social Jurist which has sought directions to the private unaided schools to grant free books and uniform to children belonging to the EWS category.

The schools have, however, claimed they do not provide books and uniform to any student as the same would fall under commercial activity, which they cannot carry out.

They have also submitted that Delhi government provided reimbursement only to schools which are built on private land and no such relief is given to those who have obtained land from the government at concessional or institutional rates.
They have also challenged section 12(2) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which lays down how reimbursement is to be provided to schools which admit EWS children.
The schools had argued that reimbursement should be provided on the basis of actual expenditure on uniforms, text books and writing material incurred by a fee-paying student in a private unaided school and not as per the amount spent by the government on a child in their schools and sought quashing of the provision.

The High Court had earlier during the proceedings in the matter slammed the "insensitive" Delhi government for its "wonky policy" with regard to providing uniforms and books to EWS children studying in private schools.