Education in India Becoming Unaffordable, High Court Says; Calls For State Responsibility

Education, which is considered pious in the Indian culture, has now become unaffordable, the Bombay High Court has said noting it is the state’s constitutional responsibility to ensure quality education reaches everyone.

A division bench of Justices A S Chandurkar and Jitendra Jain made these observations while refusing to quash decisions taken by the Maharashtra government to grant permission to two organisations to set up educational institutions in Pune.

Education has become unaffordable

The HC in its February 21 order said the court is not an expert in education policy matters and state government is the best authority to select the best and mere power to choose cannot be termed as arbitrary.

“Pune is known as the ‘Oxford of the East’ for decades and it has attracted students not only from India but other countries as well. This has resulted in Pune being a hub of educational institutions,” the HC noted.

Pune is known as the ‘Oxford of the East’ for decades and it has attracted students not only from India but other countries as well. This has resulted in Pune being a hub of educational institutions,” the HC noted.

With the passage of time and due to growth of the city, there has been a huge growth and competition in setting up of colleges and schools not only in the city of Pune but also around its periphery, it said.

“Although education is considered pious in our culture but with change in time it has taken a different colour and has become unaffordable,” the HC said.