Orissa High Court Upholds Rationalisation and Consolidation of School Policy

• The Orissa High Court upheld the Rationalisation and Consolidation of School Policy, which merged schools with low enrollments to improve PTR and resource utilization.

• School management committees challenged the policy, but the Division Bench of the Orissa High Court ruled that no violation of fundamental rights under Article 21A of the Constitution or the RTE (Right To Education) Act or Odisha Right To Education Rules (ORTE) was made.

• The policy aimed to improve infrastructure, academic environment, and learning outcomes.

• The policy was initially held illegal by a Single Judge Bench of the Orissa HC in 2018, but was later quashed