Explanation:

A single judge bench of Rajasthan High Court recently set aside Rajasthan government’s decision to convert Shri Hari Singh Government Senior Secondary School in Peelwa, Jodhpur district, to an English medium one.

The court ruled that the conversion of a Hindi medium school to English mid-session violates Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution (freedom of speech and expression) and cannot be permitted.

Article 21A of the Constitution provides for “free and compulsory education to all children of the age of six to fourteen years”.

The Rajasthan HC, however, did not accept the petitioners’ contention that Article 21A covers the right to receive education in Hindi. 

It held that the wording of the article is not absolute and allows for the state to determine the medium of instruction “by law” and referred to a 2014 verdict of the Supreme Court, which had decided on similar lines.

The court held that no child or parent can claim it as a matter of right, that he/his ward should be instructed in a particular language or the mother tongue only, based on what has been guaranteed under Article 21A of the Constitution.