On Monday, the Delhi High Court declined to take up a plea calling for the inclusion of “legal studies” as a topic in all educational institutions.
A bench presided over by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma said that the choice to decide whether to teach “legal studies” to schoolchildren was a “matter of policy” and that the argument was a “sheer misuse” of the forum.
The petitioner’s attorney argued that because “legal studies” has been included as a topic by CBSE, substantial action must be done in this respect since legal education is a “basic subject” and the essence of the Constitution.
She said that the petitioner learned of the kids’ desire to “learn law” from his interactions with them but that there was currently no faculty available to do so.
But the court, which included Justice Subramonium Prasad, asked the attorney to provide the legal basis for the petitioner’s demand that this topic be taught in schools.
Where is the authority to insist that it be included into the curriculum? The court stated that it falls within the purview of the government.
“Centre is already doing well. There is a new education policy in place. “Dismissed,” the court ruled.
Santosh Kumar Tripathi, a lawyer for the Delhi government, said that the government was giving kids the proper education and that the decision to add a new topic was up to the academic authorities.
The “Know your Constitution” campaign has already been implemented in schools in connection to legal education, according to Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma, who is speaking on behalf of the Centre.