SUO MOTO vs UNION OF INDIA

Digitally signed by
MOHAMMED
AADIL KHAN
Date: 2026.09.02
16:45:00 +0530
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CGHC010311582025 2026:CGHC:38560-DB
NAFR
HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR
WPPIL No. 66 of 2025
1 - Suo Moto Office Reference (For Grant of Permission To All Eligible
Students Studied In The C B S E Affiliated Schools of Chhattisgarh For
Participation In The Sports Session 2025-26).
... Petitioner
versus
1 - Union of India Through The Secretary General of School Games
Federation of India at 704-05 Aakriti Tower, 7th Floor, 19B Vidhan
Sabha Marg, Lucknow U.P. 226001
2 - Secretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs Government of
India Room No. 401, C-Wing, Shastri Bhawan New Delhi – 110001
3 - State of Chhattisgarh Through The Secretary, Department of School
Education, Government of Chhattisgarh, Mantralaya, Naya Raipur,
District Raipur Chhattisgarh
4 - Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI), Chhattisgarh Through The
Director, Indravati Bhawan, Raipur, District Raipur Chhattisgarh
5 - Gurukul School Through The Principal, Bhatapara, District Baloda
Bazar-Bhatapara Chhattisgarh
6 - Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Through- Chairman,
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Inegrated Office
Complex, Sector -23, Phase-1, Dwarka New Delhi-110077

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... Respondents
(Cause-title taken from Case Information System)
__________________________________________________________________
Office reference
Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice
Hon'ble Shri Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, Judge
Per Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice
01.09.2026
Heard Ms. Surya Kawalkar Dangi, amicus curae and Mr. Anand
Mohan Tiwari, Advocate. Also heard Mr. Vidya B. Soni, counsel for
Union of India and Mr. Shashank Thakur, Addl. Advocate General for
the State.
1. The present WPPIL was filed claiming the following relief(s):-
“i. To kindly Issue a writ in the nature of Certiorari, or any
other appropriate writ, order, or direction, calling for the
records pertaining to the issuance of impugned Order
No. S.No./Ph.E./100/Misc/2025-2026/1161 dated
03.06.2025 from the respondents, and on examining
the same, quash and set aside the impugned order as
being illegal, arbitrary, unreasonable, and violative of
the petitioners’ fundamental rights under Articles 14,
19(1)(g), 21, and 21A of the Constitution of India.
ii. To kindly Issue a writ in the nature of Mandamus, or
any other appropriate writ, order, or direction,
commanding the respondent State authorities to permit
the petitioners - along with all other similarly situated
students enrolled in CBSE-affiliated institutions - to
participate in all development block, district, divisional,

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and state-level school sports competitions conducted
under the aegis of the State Education Department;
such participation being subject only to age and other
neutral eligibility criteria uniformly applicable to all
students irrespective of board affiliation, thereby
restoring the status quo of inclusion and prohibiting
discrimination based on academic board.
iii. To kindly Issue a declaration that any rule, policy,
circular, or administrative order that creates a
distinction or imposes discrimination among students
solely on the basis of their academic board affiliation -
such as between CBSE and State Board institutions -
for the purpose of participation in State-organised or
State-funded school sports competitions, is
unconstitutional, void, and violative of the fundamental
rights guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution (in
particular Articles 14, 21, and 21A). It is further prayed
that this Hon'ble Court declare that all school-going
students constitute a single indivisible class for the
purpose of access to public sporting platforms.
iv. To kindly Issue appropriate directions to the
respondent State authorities to formulate and
implement a uniform policy framework that ensures
non-discriminatory access to State-sponsored school
sports competitions for all eligible students, regardless

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of institutional affiliation, and to take necessary
measures to prevent the recurrence of exclusionary
practices such as those impugned in the present case.
v. To kindly Award the costs of this litigation to the
petitioners, as the filing of this petition has been
necessitated solely due to the arbitrary, unreasonable,
and unconstitutional actions of the respondent
authorities.
vi. To kindly Pass any other order or direction that this
Hon'ble Court may deem fit, just, and proper in the
facts and circumstances of the case, in the interest of
justice and to uphold the constitutional rights of the
petitioners.”
Though vide order dated 30.07.2025, suo moto cognizance of the
matter has been taken by this Court observing that:-
“From perusal of the pleadings, it appears that the
petitioner has personal interest in the matter. Hence, she is
unable to satisfy this Court regarding the locus in filing the
present writ peition (PIL).
Thus, we take suo moto cognizance of the present
matter with respect to the issue which has been brought to
the notice of this Court. Hence, let the matter be treated as
suo moto PIL (office reference) with appropriate cause title.
We deem it appropriate to appoint Ms. Surya

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Kawalkar Dangi and Ms. Aditi Singhvi, Advocates as Amici
Curiae for the said matter to assist the Court”
2. Ms. Surya Kawalkar Dangi, learned amicus curiae submits that
the impugned order dated 03.06.2025 is for the Session 2025-
2026 and the said session is over.
3. Since the session for which the impugned order was passed is
already over, the present petition has become infructuous and the
issue involved has become academic. Accordingly, we dispose of
the present petition, leaving it open to the parties to raise their
grievance in a separate proceeding, which shall be considered
and decided in accordance with law.
Sd/- Sd/-
Sd/-

(Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) (Ramesh Sinha)
Judge Chief Justice

Aadil