Allahabad: In a significant ruling, the Allahabad High Court instructed the state government to improve educational and medical facilities, along with other support services, across all districts to ensure the comprehensive development of children with disabilities.
The order was passed by Justice Ajay Bhanot in response to a petition filed by Shivani, a teacher at a government school in Etah, who requested a transfer to a school in Noida or Ghaziabad on humanitarian grounds.
Shivani’s advocate, Kashif Rizvi, argued that her son, who suffers from autism, does not have access to adequate facilities in Etah. He emphasized that Noida and Ghaziabad offer superior medical and educational services for children with autism and requested the transfer be granted based on these grounds.
The court acknowledged that many districts in the state lack advanced facilities for medical care, education, and other support systems for children with disabilities. Referring to a recent Hindustan Times report, the bench instructed the state government to take immediate action to establish and improve such facilities in all districts to support the holistic development of children with disabilities.
During the proceedings, the Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) informed the court that the Education Council was overwhelmed with numerous transfer requests, particularly from teachers seeking transfers to Noida and Ghaziabad for medical reasons. This has made it difficult for the state to accommodate all such requests.
In light of this, the court ruled that Shivani’s transfer request would be considered after the completion of the current academic session, in line with the applicable laws and the writ petition.
