The Delhi High Court on Wednesday told a petitioner seeking compulsion of Health and Yoga Science up to class VIII in school that these were policy matters and that the government should look into the matter, instead of waiting for Court orders.
“Why wait for our orders? We have repeatedly reminded that these are policy issues. Do it on your own, if you think it is important. We don’t want to take even one step in a direction we cannot pursue. We cannot evolve a policy and cast it on the government,” observed the Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Sachin Datta.
It said these were policy decisions and no individual could demand what he thought was correct to be forced or implemented.
The High Court passed the order on a petition filed by Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, seeking directions to mandate “Health and Yoga Science” as part of school curriculum up to class 8th.
The petition said the Central government had notified in May, 2010, that the National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2005 shall be the national curriculum for schools.
As per the NCF, ‘Health & Yoga’ was a core and compulsory subject of the elementary education. For overall development of children as well as enhancing their knowledge, potential and talent, Health Sciences and Yoga were necessary, noted the plea.
It said the state has not only a constitutional obligation to provide ‘Health and Yoga Education’ to children, but it shall also ensure the creation and sustaining of conditions congenial to good health.
The petitioner said since NCERT develops syllabi of all subjects for primary and junior classes, so it must develop standard textbooks of Health and Yoga Science for students of Classes I-VIII.