INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS ASSOCIATION CHANDIGARH Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This order shall dispose of all the above mentioned writ petitions as the impugned orders are common. However, for the sake of convenience, the facts are being extracted from CWP-7409-2020.

(2.) Petitioner No.1 in CWP No.7409 of 2020 is an Association of 78 unaided privately managed schools, which are affiliated either with Central Board of Secondary Education ('CBSE') or with Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE), whereas petitioner Nos.2 to 9 are the Societies running their respective Schools, which are private unaided Educational Institutions and are presently members of petitioner No.1-Association.

(3.) Due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, the world is witnessing unprecedented times. India has not been able to remain unscathed from the spread of the contagion. To deal with the emergent situation, the Government of India as also the State of Punjab, have taken certain stringent measures. The country has been under nationwide lockdown since 24.03.2020. The Governor of Punjab, in exercise of powers purportedly conferred under Sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897 (for brevity,' the 1897 Act') framed regulations 'the Punjab Epidemic Disease, Covid-19 Regulations, 2020' (for brevity, 'the Regulations 2020') which were duly notified on March 05, 2020, by the Government of Punjab through its Department of Health and Family Welfare.