SC judge Justice Prasanna B Varale questions shrinking education budget, school closures

Supreme Court judge Justice Prasanna B Varale has raised concerns over the shrinking education budget and the closure of Marathi-medium schools in Maharashtra, saying a fraction of the money spent on major infrastructure and religious events could have saved hundreds of schools.

Speaking at the inauguration of smart classes at a high school in Maharashtra's Dhule district, Justice Varale said even 0.1% of the expenditure on the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh could have saved 100 to 125 Marathi-medium schools from closure.

He said the government allocates between Rs 32,000 crore and Rs 34,000 crore for the Kumbh Mela and around Rs 11,000 crore for corridor projects. Spending about Rs 32 crore, or 0.1% of the Kumbh allocation, could have helped prevent the closure of the schools, he said.

Justice Varale also spoke about his own education, saying he studied up to Class 10 in municipal and Zilla Parishad Marathi-medium schools. Studying in his regional language, he said, had not hindered his career and instead broadened his perspective.

“I have expressed what I truly feel in my heart,” Justice Varale later told NDTV. He said children were the future of the country and that schools must be provided with essential facilities, adding that primary education and healthcare were fundamental rights of citizens.

The judge also expressed concern that the education budget had consistently shrunk despite a growing student population and had failed to reach 13% for several years.

Highlighting the condition of rural schools, he referred to an incident at a school linked to a religious institution where three female students, who were forced to sleep on the floor because of inadequate facilities, died after snakebites.

Justice Varale contrasted such incidents with the large allocations made for events such as the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela and corridor projects, questioning the priorities behind public spending.