India’s Supreme Court sets time frame to provide toilets, water in schools

(October 5, 2012) India’s Supreme Court has directed the federal and the state governments to provide basic infrastructure, including drinking water and toilets, in all schools across the country within six months. A Bench headed by Justice K. S. Radhakrishnan fixed the time limit and asked the governments to take steps in this regard. The court passed the order on a plea seeking its direction to the governments to provide basic facilities of drinking water and toilets in schools. “All its previous directions pertaining to providing infrastructure should be implemented within the time frame fixed by it,” it said. Last year on Oct. 18, the nation’s apex court had directed all states and union territories to build toilets, particularly for girls, in all government schools. It had earlier stated that it was imperative that all schools provide toilet facilities as studies indicated that wherever toilet facilities are not provided, parents do not send their children (particularly girls) to schools. The court had also observed that not providing the infrastructure was a violation of the right to free and compulsory education of children.