The Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to apprise the court about steps taken for inclusion of Environmental Science in undergraduate courses under the National Education Policy, 2020.
The order was passed by the Single-Judge Bench of Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh, while hearing a petition filed by Krishna Praksah Darzi and 12 others.
The Counsel for the petitioners contended that enabling law and directions exist to ensure implementation of a six-month module syllabus for under-graduate courses.
Also, the syllabus has been prepared for the purpose of a three year degree course of under-graduate level. Consequential direction for appointment of qualified faculty has also been sought.
“Upon hearing counsel for the parties at some length, prima facie, it does appear, directions have been issued by the Supreme Court that may constitute the law. Consequently, the UGC has issued directions to the State Government. The State Government also appears to have taken certain steps. However, the non-compliance may have been made first at the instance of State universities. However, action, if any, taken by the State Government in that regard is also not known’, the Court observed.
The Court granted two weeks’ time to the Standing Counsel to obtain clear written instructions with respect to the facts noted above.
“He may inform if preparatory steps have been completed to implement the direction issued by the Supreme Court in MC Mehta vs Union of India (UOI) & Ors, AIR 1992 SC 382, if that has been done, the instruction would further reveal legal impediment in the enforcement of that direction,” the order read.
The Court has fixed the next hearing of the petition on December 12.