Petition Seeking Regulation of Religious Education Institutions | Supreme Court Asks Petitioner to Wait for Centre's Decision

On May 11, the Supreme Court disposed of a writ petition that sought the registration, recognition, and supervision of all institutions providing religious education to children up to 14 years of age. The Court directed the petitioner to await the outcome of a representation already submitted to the Secretary of the Ministry of Education. A bench comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma heard the matter briefly.

The petitioner, advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, argued that thousands of unregistered institutions are radicalizing young children under the guise of religious instruction. He claimed this poses serious threats to internal security, fraternity, unity, and national integration, as children can be easily brainwashed in the name of religion.

Justice Datta noted that in a similar petition filed earlier by the same petitioner, the Court had refused to interfere and had directed him to first make a representation to the relevant authority. The judge pointed out that only three months had passed since the representation was submitted on February 10.

Upadhyay pleaded that his plea be considered, citing the Court's previous acceptance of similar writ petitions. However, Justice Datta refused to entertain the plea, stating that the bench would not rush the matter. He emphasized that justice is not one-way traffic and that the executive and legislature are equally responsible for upholding it.

Upadhyay then requested that the petition itself be treated as a representation. The Court declined, stating that since a representation had already been made, it should first be decided upon. The petitioner also sought directions regarding the scope of Article 30, arguing that it does not confer additional rights beyond Article 19(1)(g) and should not cover religious educational institutions.