The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a plea filed by two students from Chhattisgarh challenging the relocation of a government college building, questioning whether they wanted to focus on their studies or engage in “netagiri” (political activities).
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta was hearing a petition against a Chhattisgarh High Court order which had earlier refused to intervene in the state government’s decision to shift the college premises.
The bench bluntly asked the petitioners’ counsel, “You are students. You want to study or you want to do all this politics, netagiri?” The judges noted that decisions on where to construct a college fell within the administration’s domain.
“As youngsters, you can cycle down, walk down to the next village where the college is being shifted,” the court remarked, declining to interfere with the state’s policy decision.
The petition was filed by two students from Adar Nandghat village in Bemetara district. They argued that the government had sanctioned the establishment of a college building in their village, taking into account the rising number of students and the need for better educational access.
However, they alleged that following a change in political leadership, a minister issued directions to relocate the college to Amora village, and later to Kura. The shift, they claimed, would impose additional travel burdens on students due to poor transport facilities. They also expressed concern that authorities could commence construction at the new site at any time.
The Chhattisgarh government submitted before the High Court that while the college was initially opened in Adar Nandghat, it was later decided to move the project to Amora.
The High Court, dismissing the plea, had observed that the question of location was a matter of administrative policy and “within the domain of the state and its instrumentalities.” It said it was not for the court to assess which location would better serve the public interest.
Upholding the High Court’s view, the Supreme Court dismissed the students’ plea, reinforcing that such matters fall within the executive’s decision-making powers.
