Delhi HC dismisses PIL seeking inclusion of legal studies in schools

Dismissing a petition seeking legal studies as an optional subject in every school, the Delhi High Court on Monday said that inclusion of any subject in the curriculum falls within the domain of the executive and courts are not a forum to decide such issues.

Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad's division bench rejected the plea saying that if such prayers are granted, tomorrow someone will file a petition asking for astrophysics in the curriculum. 

The bench said, "Where is the right to demand that this particular stream be made part of the curriculum? Tomorrow some child would come to us and say I was astrophysics as a subject." 

The PIL by Virander Kumar Sharma Punj and Shubham Pushp Sharma moved through advocate Meghverna Sharma was backed by referring to a 2013 neqs article, where it was stated by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) that legal studies would be offered as a subject for classes XI and XII on pilot basis in 200 schools.

The counsel contended that nothing much has been done by the government in that respect to date. 

It was further submitted by the counsel that subjects like Artificial Intelligence (AI) have been made part of the curriculum and the students that the petitioner met want to study law as well.

For people who want to engage with the constitution, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma pointed out that the government has initiatives like Know Your Constitution.

The court then refused to pass any order regarding the same.