PIL in Delhi HC seeks spectacles for thousands of needy students

New Delhi [India], September 15 (ANI): A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Delhi High Court by Social Jurist, a Civil Rights Group, seeking urgent directions to the Delhi Government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to provide free spectacles to students suffering from poor eyesight in government and municipal schools.
The petition, moved through Advocates Ashok Agarwal and Kumar Utkarsh, alleges that the authorities' inaction is depriving lakhs of children of their fundamental right to education.
According to the PIL, around 15 lakh children in Delhi Government schools and 7 lakh in MCD schools are enrolled, and an estimated 1 lakh of them urgently require spectacles.
The petition cites data collected from voluntary eye camps between December 2024 and August 2025, during which 663 spectacles were distributed, showing that nearly 5 per cent of students need vision correction.
The plea states that many children from economically weaker sections cannot afford spectacles, leaving them unable to read blackboards or textbooks. It calls the government's inaction a violation of Articles 14, 21 and 21A of the Constitution, the Right to Education Act, 2009, the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and the Delhi School Education Act, 1973.
Among other reliefs, the petition prays for mass medical check-ups of all students in Delhi Government and MCD schools. Free supply of spectacles within a week of detection of vision problems--mandatory annual eye examinations for children to ensure uninterrupted education.
The petition also annexes multiple representations and school visit reports highlighting the absence of routine health check-ups and delays in providing corrective lenses.
"Despite repeated communications to the authorities since February 2025, no concrete action has been taken," the petitioners claimed.
The matter is expected to come up for hearing this week before the Delhi High Court. (ANI)