Supreme Court Seeks Centre’s Stand on Making Pre-Primary Education a Fundamental Right

The Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre, States and Union Territories on a PIL seeking free and compulsory education at the pre-primary level.

The plea urges that early childhood education (ages 3–6), as emphasised in the National Education Policy 2020, be brought within the scope of the Right to Education Act 2009.

Currently, the law guarantees education only for children aged 6–14.

The Court said it will examine whether pre-primary education should also be treated as a fundamental right under Article 21A and sought responses from governments.

[Haripriya Patel v. UOI]