HC seeks plan to bring back OOSC

The High Court on Friday directed the State government to come out with a plan to bring out-of-school children back to school.

Hearing a suo motu petition initiated to control the dropout rate of children from schools, the division bench comprising Chief Justice D H Waghela and Justice Ashok B Hinchigeri directed the amicus curiae in this case, Azim Premji Foundation (which has offered to monitor the implementation of schemes to bring back children to school and the government to sit together and come out with a plan by next hearing). 

During the hearing, the government submitted that till now, across the State 99,207 children have been brought back to schools and 68,414 students are yet to be brought back.

Backlog vacancies 

The High Court has questioned the State government as to why it cannot fill up the backlog vacancies for physically-challenged people.

Hearing an appeal by Dr Rajalakshmi, an orthodontist who was rendered physically handicapped after she met with an accident and seeking appointment as dental health officer, the division bench comprising Chief Justice D H Waghela and Justice Ashok B Hinchigeri directed the government to provide details regarding the cadre strength of dental health officers and associate professors of orthodontics in the State.

The petitioner had moved the High Court challenging the single judge order dismissing her petition seeking appointment under the physically handicapped quota. The single judge had dismissed the petition stating that there are no vacancies for the post to which the appellant is seeking appointment.