NEW DELHI — The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday declined to entertain a Public Interest Litigation seeking the enactment of a comprehensive Central law and uniform national guidelines to combat bullying and ragging across schools and pre-university institutions. A Bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana observed that the apex court has previously delivered binding judgments addressing these concerns, noting that a fresh petition cannot be entertained merely to pursue the execution or enforcement of established directives.
While dismissing the petition, the Bench granted liberty to the legal counsel representing the petitioner, Yadavi Aditya Rasiwasiya, to submit a formal representation on the matter to the appropriate governmental authorities for consideration. The plea had formally arrayed the Union Government, all state governments, Union Territory administrations, the Central Board of Secondary Education, and the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations as respondents.
The petitioner had sought a writ of mandamus directing central ministries to draft and enforce dedicated statutory legislation targeting institutional harassment, intimidation, and ragging within primary, secondary, and senior secondary schools. In addition to legislative action, the plea called for mandatory operational protocols to establish rigorous grievance-redressal mechanisms within educational institutions, ensuring that complaints of harassment among pupils are systematically recorded, investigated, and resolved in a time-bound manner.
Furthermore, the PIL advocated for foundational curriculum reforms to foster empathy and prevent peer abuse from an early age. It urged the court to mandate an instructional course outlining the psychological and legal perils of bullying and ragging as a compulsory subject across all state and central educational boards throughout the country.
