Supreme Court Issues Notice On Plea To Regulate Religious Education For Children Under 14

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice on a contempt petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay against Union Education Secretary T.K. Anil Kumar. The petition alleges non-compliance with an earlier court direction to consider a representation seeking regulation of institutions imparting religious education to children below 14 years of age. A bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Sheel Nagu dispensed with the Education Secretary's personal appearance and listed the matter after four weeks.

Upadhyay's representation seeks registration and monitoring of institutions providing secular or religious education to children below 14 years. He has alleged that thousands of non-registered institutions operate without adequate state supervision while imparting religious instruction, potentially raising concerns over internal security, national integration and the vulnerability of children to influence.

The petition also seeks directions concerning interpretation of Article 30 of the Constitution, which deals with minority rights to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.