The Madras High Court on Thursday (August 7, 2025) wondered why Tamil Nadu government is not fulfilling its Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act obligation, of reimbursing private unaided schools which admit poor neighbourhood students under the Act, without waiting for central funds.
A Division Bench of Justices G.R. Swaminathan and V. Lakshminarayanan said, the reluctance on the part of the State government in fulfilling the financial obligation, without depending upon the Centre, would only give an impression as if the State was not interested in educating poor children under the RTE Act.
The observations were made during the hearing of a contempt of court petition filed against School Education secretary B. Chandra Mohan and Director of Private Schools P. Kuppusamy for having failed to implement an order passed by the Division Bench in a public interest litigation petition on June 10, 2025.
Special Government Pleader U.M. Ravichandran said the State government had preferred an appeal before the Supreme Court on Thursday (August 7, 2025) against the orders passed in the PIL petition. After recording his submissions, the Bench adjourned the hearing on the contempt plea to August 14, 2025.
