The Delhi government has issued a formal assurance to the Delhi High Court that all students enrolled in government schools will receive their textbooks for the 2026-27 academic session before the commencement of the upcoming summer vacation.
The commitment was made during a hearing on Thursday before Justice Sachin Datta. The court was presiding over a contempt petition filed by the NGO Social Jurist, which alleged “deliberate and intentional disobedience” of a 2024 judicial mandate regarding the timely provision of educational materials.
The legal action was initiated following the government’s failure to meet the April 1 deadline for the distribution of textbooks. Advocate Ashok Agarwal, representing the NGO, argued that lakhs of students in classes 1 to 8 were being deprived of their fundamental right to education due to administrative delays.
The petitioner highlighted that on July 4, 2024, a division bench of the High Court had already recorded an assurance from authorities that books, notebooks, and furniture would be provided in a time-bound manner. Furthermore, a formal communication from the Secretary in 2024 had directed that the tendering process should be completed such that materials reach students by the last week of March.
Despite these binding undertakings, the NGO alleged that “even after lapse of considerable time, no textbooks have been supplied to the students, resulting in severe prejudice to their education.”
Responding to the notice issued by the court, the Delhi government’s standing counsel informed the bench that the tender process has been concluded and distribution is well underway.
According to the government’s submission:
- Approximately 10 lakh students have already received their textbooks.
- The remaining 8 lakh students are expected to receive their books within the next few days.
“It is assured and undertaken that distribution of textbooks in all respects to all students in classes 1 to 8 in government schools in Delhi shall be completed before the commencement of the summer vacation,” the court noted in its order, taking the official statement on record.
Justice Sachin Datta has issued a formal notice to the concerned official on the contempt petition. The court has directed the authorities to file a status report or compliance affidavit to verify that the distribution has been completed as promised.
The matter has been scheduled for a follow-up hearing in September to ensure full compliance with the judicial orders.
