Overview

• Division bench of Justices A.R. Masoodi and Shriprakash Singh on July 10 dismissed advocate Jyoti Rajput’s PIL challenging the June 16 consolidation order, citing a detailed July 7 single-bench verdict.
• Justice Pankaj Bhatia’s single bench had earlier upheld the merger under Article 21A, ruling it aimed to enhance education quality and did not violate the right to education.
• Under the consolidation directive, primary and upper primary schools with fewer than 50 students will merge with nearby institutions to pool teaching staff, libraries, labs and digital resources.
• The court required the Uttar Pradesh government to arrange student transport or provide alternative local schooling to ensure continued access for children in remote areas.
• The reform affects about 29,000 of the state’s 140,000 low-enrolment schools and follows similar resource-optimization models in other Indian states.