BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court has asked the Union government to inform it about the status of the Justice Ranganath Misra Commission report with regard to granting of minority tag to linguistic minority educational institutions.
Justice B V Nagarathna issued a direction to this effect recently and adjourned the hearing to February 22. This was after the court heard petitions filed by the Kasturba Education Trust and Vidya Niketan School, Hebbal in the city, seeking directions to the Union government to accord them linguistic minority status as the authorities did not consider their applications on the matter.
The educational institutions have made the State Primary Education Department, National Commission for Minority Educational Institution and Union of India respondents in the case.
The senior counsel of the petitioner institutions submitted that the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, headed by Justice Ranganath Misra, former Chief Justice of India, submitted its report in May 2007. But, it is not known as to what action has been taken by the Centre on the report.
The counsel also pointed out that there was no clarity regarding the applicability of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions Act, 2004, as the applicability of the said Act for linguistic minorities is uncertain.
The counsel further submitted that educational institutions which claim to be in the category of linguistic minority are not bound by the Right to Education (RTE) Act.
In response, the government advocate argued that educational institutions, which claim to be linguistic minority but have not yet acquired such a status in accordance with law, are bound by the RTE Act.
After hearing the arguments, the Judge said, “I find that a direction ought to be issued to the Union government to submit what steps have been taken on the report submitted by the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, dated May, 10, 2007, and inform this Court about the status of the said report”.