MUZAFFARNAGAR INCIDENT: URGENT NEED FOR EQUALITY IN SCHOOLS
AUTHOR – SHNEHA ROY, STUDENT AT THE WEST BENGAL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF JURIDICAL SCIENCE
BEST CITATION – SHNEHA ROY, MUZAFFARNAGAR INCIDENT: URGENT NEED FOR EQUALITY IN SCHOOLS, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (13) OF 2025, PG. 393-399, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344
Last year, the Supreme Court of India allowed a writ petition in Tushar Gandhi vs. the State of Uttar Pradesh[1] to strongly criticize the UP Government for its failure to implement a previous order regarding the Muzaffarnagar slapping incident in the school itself, where classmates slapped a Muslim student under a teacher’s instruction. The Apex Court describes the state’s handling of the situation as “shocking”, especially its non compliance in providing counselling for both the victims and the classmates involved and its delay in transferring the victim to a new school. The case highlights the violation of Article 14[2], which states the equality in the eyes of law; Article 15[3], which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion as the student faced discriminatory treatment; Article 16[4], which ensures equality and non-discrimination in public institutions; Article 21[5], which aims to provide the Right to life, dignity and personal liberty and corresponds to that the Article 21A[6] states the Right to Education Act (RTE) of the Constitution, underscoring the need for prompt action by authorities to hold the constitution rights and provide fair treatment to all student irrespective of their backgrounds.
KEYWORD: Right to Education Act, Muzaffarnagar, Supreme Court, Articles 14, 15, 16, 21 and 21A
[1] Tushar Gandhi v. State of Uttar Pradesh And Ors. [W.P.(Crl.) No. 406/2023 PIL-W]
[2] The Constitution of India, 1950, Arts. 14
[3] The Constitution of India, 1950, Arts. 15
[4] The Constitution of India, 1950, Arts. 16
[5] The Constitution of India, 1950, Arts. 21
[6] The Constitution of India, 1950, Arts. 21A