Chandigarh, Dec 22: The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Haryana government to submit fresh, district-wise data on compliance with the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, after finding deficiencies in the information earlier placed on record.
The direction was issued by a bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry while hearing a suo motu case initiated on the basis of media reports pointing to a shortage of teachers in government schools across the state.
The court examined an affidavit dated November 18, 2025, filed by the additional chief secretary, school education, Haryana, which stated that all districts — except Faridabad, Nuh (Mewat) and Palwal — were meeting the prescribed pupil-teacher ratio.
However, the bench said the figures submitted were not aligned with the norms and standards laid down in the Schedule to the RTE Act for primary and upper primary schools.
“The data placed on record is not in conformity with the statutory norms,” the court observed, directing the state to file an additional affidavit strictly in terms of the Schedule to the Act.
The high court said the fresh affidavit must provide district-wise details on the availability of special education teachers for children with special needs at both primary and upper primary levels. It also sought information on compliance of school buildings with prescribed infrastructure standards, availability and condition of teaching-learning equipment, existence of libraries with mandated magazines and storybooks, and access to play material, games and sports equipment.
The state has also been directed to disclose the current status of the recruitment process initiated pursuant to an advertisement issued on August 9, 2024, which was referred to in the earlier affidavit.
The matter has been listed for further hearing after the additional affidavit is filed.
