During the proceedings, the Delhi High Court stated that granting such petitions would set a precedent, leading to further requests for other subjects to be included in the curriculum. The Court gave the example that if legal studies were made a compulsory subject, then someone may request astrophysics to be included in the curriculum.
Ultimately, on Monday, the Court rejected a PIL seeking to make legal studies an elective subject in all schools, citing that the decision of including subjects in the curriculum lies within the domain of the executive branch and should not be determined by courts.
“Where is the right to demand that this particular stream be made part of the curriculum? Tomorrow some child would come to us and say I was astrophysics as a subject,” the Court observed.
Virander Kumar Sharma Punj and Shubham Pushp Sharma filed an appeal seeking to make legal studies an elective subject in all schools. Punj was reportedly in line to become the Delhi Police’s Assistant Commissioner of Police (Vigilance).
Advocate Meghverna Sharma represented the petitioners and presented a 2013 news article in which the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) stated that legal studies would be introduced as a subject in classes XI and XII in 200 schools on a trial basis.
However, the government has not taken any significant steps towards this since then, according to the counsel. She also mentioned that subjects like Artificial Intelligence (AI) have been included in the curriculum, and that students are showing interest in studying law.
The government’s Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma responded by saying that there are initiatives like Know Your Constitution for people who are interested in learning about the Indian constitution.
The bench emphasized that this is a matter for the government to decide, and the Court will not issue a verdict on it. As a result, the appeal was denied.
