Delhi HC upholds cash for EWS student uniforms over direct distribution

The Delhi High Court has dismissed a review petition by the NGO 'Justice For All' that challenged the government's decision to give cash to students admitted under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and disadvantaged group categories in private schools for buying uniforms. A bench of Justices Subramonium Prasad and Renu Bhatnagar rejected the plea on 12 October, saying the grounds raised were an attempt to re-argue the case and the policy could not be called 'completely arbitrary, whimsical or capricious.'

The NGO had argued that under the Right to Education Act, the government must provide uniforms directly, not cash. The Delhi government countered that the cabinet believed procurement and distribution of uniforms was not feasible due to operational constraints, and adopted a fresh policy in June 2025 to pay a suitable amount through Direct Benefit Transfer. The court previously upheld the cash policy in its January judgment, noting authorities would face genuine difficulty processing individual uniform orders for every student.