The Delhi High Court has upheld the Delhi government’s policy of providing cash assistance for uniforms to children from economically weaker sections and disadvantaged groups enrolled in private schools, dismissing a review petition that sought the direct distribution of uniforms instead.
A bench of Justice Subramonium Prasad and Justice Renu Bhatnagar said the government’s decision was neither arbitrary nor wholly unreasonable. The bench rejected the review petition filed by the non-governmental organisation Justice for All, holding that the issues raised amounted to an attempt to seek a full rehearing of the earlier case.
The court said judicial intervention in a government policy is warranted only when the decision is so arbitrary or unreasonable that it shocks the conscience of the court. It found that the policy of providing cash in place of uniforms did not meet that threshold.
Justice for All had argued that children admitted under the economically weaker section and disadvantaged group categories in aided and unaided private schools should be provided uniforms under the Right to Education Act. The organisation had asked the court to direct the government to supply uniforms rather than transfer money for their purchase.
The Delhi government had previously told the court that taking measurements for every child, procuring different types of fabric, arranging stitching and distributing the uniforms through schools would be difficult to execute. In response to these logistical challenges, the Delhi Cabinet changed the policy in June 2025 to provide an appropriate amount directly to children for uniforms.
The court had upheld the policy earlier on 23 January. At that stage, it observed that taking measurements and preparing uniforms for every child before the start of a new academic session would be extremely difficult for the government. The process would also involve procuring different types of fabric through the Government e-Marketplace portal and subsequently getting the uniforms stitched.
The High Court had said that providing financial assistance through direct benefit transfer for uniforms was not contrary to the Right to Education Act or its rules. It also noted that the arrangement could help ensure that children received uniforms on time.
During the review proceedings, the bench said it had already considered the new policy dated 10 June 2025, along with the note prepared for the Council of Ministers and other documents submitted by the government. The court said it found no basis to interfere with the policy again.
The ruling leaves the cash-based mechanism in place for eligible students in private schools. The government’s implementation model will therefore continue to rely on direct transfers rather than centralised procurement, stitching and distribution of uniforms.
