SUNEETA SINGH Vs. STATE OF U. P.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard learned counsels for the petitioners, Sri Yatindra, Sri Pankaj Kumar Tyagi, Sri Sanjay Kumar Singh, Sri Harshvardhan Gupta, Sri Ram Vilas Yadav, Sri Amit Shukla, Sri Santosh Kumar, Sri Ashok Kumar, Sri Syed Nadeem Ahmad learned counsels for the Basic Education Officers, Sri Durga Singh who appears for the State Project Director, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan and Sri Bipin Bihari Pandey learned Chief Standing Counsel alongwith Sri Sanjay Chaturvedi for the State respondents.

(2.) This batch of writ petitions have been clubbed and heard for final disposal collectively with the consent of parties.

(3.) All the petitioners were engaged by the respondents in residential schools established under the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Scheme KGBV launched by the Union Government. In August 2004, the Union Government launched a scheme for setting up of residential schools upto the upper primary level for girls belonging predominantly to the SC, ST, OBC and minorities in difficult areas. The scheme provided for the establishment of schools in educationally backward blocks. Priority was to be accorded to the establishment of these schools in areas having a concentration of SC, ST, OBC, minorities, tribal population and where enrollment of girls was found to be lagging. Areas with low female literacy and areas with a large number of small and scattered habitations in which educational facilities were nonexistent were also to be identified for the purposes of establishment of schools under the aforesaid scheme. With effect from 01 April 2008, the criteria for educationally backward block was revised to include those blocks where rural female literacy was below 30% and town/cities having minority concentration. Initially the scheme was run as a separate initiative of the Union Government till it came to be merged with the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan SSA with effect from 01 April 2007. With the promulgation of the Right to Education Act, 2009 RTE and the adoption of the framework for implementation of SSA being revised, the scheme and its objectives were revised to bring it in tune and harmony with the right and entitlement of children as envisaged under the RTE. In the State of U.P., the U.P. Education For All UPEFA society came to be formed in 1993 to oversee the field of Basic Education. The KGBV scheme is presently being administered by this entity.