Just a day after the Delhi government put the schools back on lockdown after the Supreme Court pulled it up for reopening them amidst increasing levels of pollution, the apex court, on December 3, said that it never asked the government to shut schools but only asked for the rationale behind keeping schools open.
The Chief Justice of India NV Ramana presided over the hearing on a plea filed by a 17-year-old Delhi student in connection with severe pollution in the capital and he reportedly said, "Some sections are portraying as if we don't want schools to open." According to Bar and Bench, the CJI said that either intentionally or unintentionally, some sections of the media are portraying the special bench of the court as "the villain who wants to close down the schools".
The Bench — which included the CJI himself along with Justices DY Chandrachud and Surya Kant — had, on December 2, questioned senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for the Delhi government over the decision to keep the schools open amidst severe pollution. The Bench had said, "You have implemented work from home for adults. So, parents work from home and children have to go to school. What's this?"
CJI Ramana had said earlier that the Delhi government made several claims that they are willing to even impose lockdown and other measures to curb pollution, but all schools are open and children who are as little as three to four year-olds are going to school — when the air quality index is extremely poor. He had said that the court will appoint an authority to oversee the government's air pollution controlling measures.
