Delhi HC asks Centre to decide on extension of free education beyond age of 14 years

The Delhi High Court has asked the Central government to take a decision on the extension of free education to disadvantaged children even after attaining the age of 14 years or beyond.

"We expect from respondent No 1 [Union government] that the policy decision of extension of free education under the of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 to children of disadvantaged group even after attaining the age of 14 years or beyond Class VIII upto Class XII in the same school, would be taken at the earliest. It will be a major policy decision which involves financial aspect," a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar said.

The court was hearing a plea filed by a civil right group Social Jurist through advocate Ashok Agarwal.

The government had earlier told the court a new national education policy is presently under formulation. The issue of extension of the RTE Act beyond elementary level is a major policy decision and has been discussed by the Committee set up for preparing a draft of National Policy on Education, it said.