Delhi High Court Upholds Cash Assistance for School Uniforms for Underprivileged Students

Delhi High Court's Ruling on School Uniform Assistance

New Delhi. The Delhi High Court has confirmed the Delhi government's policy of providing cash assistance for school uniforms to children from economically weaker sections (EWS) and disadvantaged groups enrolling in private schools. The court clarified that this decision by the government is neither arbitrary nor entirely unreasonable. Additionally, the court dismissed a review petition filed by the NGO 'Justice for All' that sought to reconsider this policy. As a result of this ruling, the Delhi government's system of directly providing financial aid for school uniforms to eligible children will continue.

The bench, comprising Justice Subramaniam Prasad and Justice Renu Bhatnagar, stated that the issues raised in the review petition were already addressed in previous rulings. The court emphasized that judicial intervention in government policies is warranted only when they are clearly arbitrary, unreasonable, or unacceptable. In this case, the government's approach of offering cash assistance instead of providing ready-made uniforms does not meet this criterion, thus there is no substantial basis for intervention.

Demand for Ready-Made Uniforms Instead of Cash Assistance

The petitioner organization 'Justice for All' argued that under the Right to Education Act, children from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups should receive uniforms in both private aided and unaided schools. They contended that the government should provide ready-made uniforms rather than cash, ensuring the intended support is effectively delivered.

In response, the Delhi government defended its policy, stating that measuring each child's size, purchasing fabric according to different sizes and needs, tailoring, and then distributing uniforms to all schools is a practically challenging process. This approach would require significant time and administrative resources. Considering these challenges, the Delhi cabinet decided in June 2025 to amend the policy to provide direct financial assistance for uniforms to eligible children, aiming to simplify the process and ensure timely support.

Importance of Timely Availability of Uniforms

Previously, on January 23, the Delhi High Court had also upheld this policy, noting that preparing uniforms based on individual measurements and distributing them before the new academic session poses a significant administrative challenge for the government. The process involves purchasing various types of fabric, tailoring, and distribution, which is not straightforward even with the use of the government e-marketplace (GeM) portal for procurement.

In its earlier ruling, the court acknowledged that providing cash assistance for uniforms through direct benefit transfer (DBT) does not violate the Right to Education Act and its associated regulations. This system allows parents of eligible children to purchase uniforms according to their needs, helping ensure availability before the academic session begins.

No Grounds Found for Intervention in Review Petition

During the hearing of the review petition, the High Court noted that the policy established by the government on June 10, 2025, and the related documents prepared for the cabinet had already been considered. The court found no new or substantial grounds presented in the petition that would necessitate a re-evaluation of the earlier decision.

With this ruling, the Delhi government's uniform assistance policy has received judicial backing. The arrangement to provide cash assistance for uniforms to eligible children from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups enrolling in private schools will remain in effect. The court's primary rationale was that the government's chosen method was designed with administrative feasibility and the need for timely assistance in mind, and there were insufficient reasons to deem it arbitrary.