HC orders immediate rectification after panel identifies deficiencies in government schools

Madhya Pradesh: The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has expressed serious concern over the condition of government/municipal schools in the state. The court directed officials to immediately address deficiencies found during a recent inspection and submit detailed financial information related to education expenditure.

These instructions were issued while hearing a writ petition filed by Gaurav Choubey against the Urban Administration and Development Department and other authorities. The petition, pending since 2020, highlighted poor infrastructure and a lack of basic facilities in schools run by the government and the Indore Municipal Corporation. The court observed that both parties had submitted records on the condition of the schools, but the material on record only reflected the situation until the academic year 2020-21, leaving the current situation unverified.

To assess the ground reality, the High Court, in its earlier order dated August 7, 2025, constituted a three-member committee comprising advocates Lokesh Metha, Piyush Jain, and Dikshita Gupta. The committee was directed to conduct random inspections of at least 25 government schools and submit a detailed report with photographs and video recordings. The Indore Municipal Corporation was also directed to maintain records of the education cess collected and expenditure incurred on education over the past three years.

The committee has submitted its report after inspecting 10 schools. According to court records, the panel found several deficiencies in these institutions, particularly regarding the quality of construction and the availability of basic amenities. Although the deficiencies were not detailed in the order, the HC stated that the findings required immediate corrective action.