CWP No.6249/2008 1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH. CWP No.6249/2008 Date of Decision: April 11,2008 Jiva Nand Kaushik ............. Petitioner through Mr.Pankaj Nanhera, Advocate. Versus State of Haryana and others. ..............Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VIJENDER JAIN, CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE JASWANT SINGH 1. Whether Reporters of Local Newspapers may be allowed to see the judgment? 2. To be referred to the Reporters or not? 3. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest? . ***** Vijender Jain ,Chief Justice(Oral). This is a writ petition filed by the petitioner, a resident of Village Bhuna, Tehsil Guhla, District Kaithal in public interest litigation seeking the quashing of the impugned order dated 21.1.2008 (Annexure P-3) passed by respondents declining the request for up-gradation of the Government High School in his village to a Senior Secondary School as per the policy. We have heard the learned counsel and perused the record. We find that the impugned order dated 21.1.2008 (Annexure P-3) is a detailed and reasoned order. It is discernible from the impugned order that the number of Government Senior Secondary Schools in the State of CWP No.6249/2008 2 Haryana have gone up by 40% in the last two years (more than 400 schools have been upgraded). They are situated within a radius of 2.5 kilometers, as against the criteria of within 7-10 kilometers (from residences) laid down by the Government of India. Ironically, during the same period the number of students appearing for +2 Board Examinations have significantly come down. The government, on detailed examination has found that the existing norms for upgradation of schools are just looking for physical infrastructure available in the schools and have been ignoring the other aspects like sanction of teaching and non-teaching posts, availability of teachers, laboratory facility, library facility etc. The State government has approved new norms for upgradation of schools and decided that unless and until complete infrastructure and teaching facilities for providing meaningful education to students are available there is no point in upgrading the schools. It is in these circumstances that the school in question has not been upgraded. It has been further stated that the school in petitioner's village shall be upgraded in the coming years as per the State government policy. Thus, the impugned order is not arbitrary. In view of the above, no case for interference is made out. Dismissed in limine. (VIJENDER JAIN) CHIEF JUSTICE April 11, 2008 (JASWANT SINGH) joshi JUDGE