In compliance of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s directives, CAQMrelaxes certain restrictions under Stage-III and Stage-IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)
In compliance of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s directives, CAQMrelaxes certain restrictions under Stage-III and Stage-IV of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)
Today, the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide its Order dated 25.11.2024 in WP (C) No. 13029 of 1985 titled as M. C. Mehta Vs. Union of India & Ors., inter alia, directed as under:
“…we direct the Commission to consider the grant of relaxation of actions in terms of clauses 5 and 8 of Stage IV measures (only in relation to educational institutions) as well as clause 11 of Stage III measures. The Commission may consider of grant of exemptions to certain classes from the aforesaid actions/measures. The Commission will have to consider the grant of relaxation/exemption as regards the actions under the aforesaid three clauses for various reasons, including the following:
…We also leave it to the Commission to decide on the continuation of the ban on conducting physical classes of X and XII standards on the same grounds.
Various options can be considered by the Commission. One can be of granting relaxation to those schools and educational institutions which do not have the facility of online education, and the other can be of granting relaxation to those students who do not have the facilities of attending online education at their respective homes. We make it clear that we are leaving it to the Commission to decide to what extent, if any, the measures relating to education which are otherwise applicable in Stages III and IV of the GRAP can be either relaxed or exceptions can be carved out. We expect that a decision shall be taken by the Commission during the course of the day or, at the latest, by tomorrow morning so that it can be implemented…”
Further, in respectful compliance of the above noted directives of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, the Commission further deliberated upon the related issues and has taken note of the following key factors:
Considering all the above noted aspects and in respectful compliance of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s directives, the Commission, today has ordered the following with immediate effect and until further orders:
- A large number of students are being deprived of the facility of Mid Day Meals as the schools and anganwadis are closed;
- A large number of students do not have the facilities to take benefit of online education. Many educational institutions do not have facilities to provide online education; and
- The residences of many students do not have air purifiers, and therefore, there may not be any difference between the children sitting at home and the children attending school.