Born on 02nd September 1951. Completed law in 1976 and has been practicing in the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court. Expertise area is service and labour laws. Has appeared before the courts for the workers in thousands of cases. During the last 12 years, besides doing the usual professional work, lot of work has been done for the rights of the children and particularly for the children belonging to the weaker sections of society. Public Interest Litigation has been specifically used as a tool to highlight the socio-legal grievances of the poor and downtrodden. Several articles have been written in the past on the draft right to education bill which has to some extent influenced the framing of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
OUTLOOK MAGZINE writes, “Call him the scourge of Delhi's education babus and the owners of upscale private schools. Or, call him an indefatigable fighter for good schooling for the capital's poor and powerless. Lawyer Ashok Agarwal is both. His brahmastra is the PIL: for 10 years now, Social Jurist, the lawyer's collective set up by Agarwal, has forced accountability upon a reluctant system, by successfully moving the courts. It has alerted them to admission irregularities, the abysmal lack of basic amenities, and dereliction of duty by teachers and principals in state-run schools. It has forced checks on extortionate fee hikes by private schools. If children from poor families are now being admitted free to Delhi private schools that took cheap land from the government but reneged on social commitments, and if a three-year-old is no longer subjected to an admission interview, this down-to-earth man of action has a lot to do with it.”
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Sunday, February 14, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
FEB 13, 2010 MARCH TO PARLIAMENT FOR PROTECTION OF RIGHT TO EDUCATION OF DISABLED CHILDREN
03.02.2010
MARCH TO PARLIAMENT FOR THE PROTECTION OF RIGHT TO EDUCATION OF OVER TWO CRORES DISABLED CHILDREN ON SATURDAY, FEB 13, 2010 FROM 11.00 AM TO 12.30 PM – JOIN US AT JANTAR MANTAR AT 11.00 AM
Dear Friends,
It is shocking to know that even after 62 years of independence; over 2 crores children with disabilities of this country have totally been denied the right to education. What ever figures are available is the pointer of the fact that only less than one percent of these children with disabilities are in the mainstream school system. It is submitted that the children with disabilities are the worst sufferers as they are massively deprived of all human and fundamental rights. Interestingly, even those children who are in schools do not have basic facilities like special teachers, aids and appliances, reading and learning material, barrier free environment, special toilets, ramps etc. Even premier institution like Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) have admitted before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court that they do not have any staff to take care of the educational needs of the disabled children studying in their schools. How long the rulers of this country would continue to deny the basic right to education to our children with disabilities?
It is submitted that all children including the children with disabilities have a basic human and fundamental right to receive good quality education in the mainstream schools as guaranteed to them under Article 14 (right to equality), Article 21 (right to life with dignity), Article 21-A (right to education) and Article 38 (right to social justice) of the Constitution of India read with the provisions of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 and UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2008). It is estimated that about 10 crores children are out of school and are engaged in labour though their right place is in schools. Those children who are in the government school system are receiving very poor quality of education. It is all happening due to the apathy of the governments towards the educational needs of the children of the masses of this country.
In order to highlight the violations of the right to education of the children with disabilities, All India Parents Association (AIPA) is organizing a March to the Parliament on Saturday, February 13, 2010 from 11.00 am to 12.30 pm
DEMANDING FROM THE CENTRAL AND THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE THAT :
· No government or private school deny admission to the children with disabilities
· All the schools whether government or private shall provide totally free education to the children with disabilities at all levels
· All schools whether government or private should have all basic facilities like, adequate number of qualified special teachers, aids and appliances, ramps, special toilet, teaching and learning material, barrier free environment etc.
· Availability of basic facilities for the disabled children in school must be made a condition of grant of recognition to the school
· Totally free health security to the children with disabilities. Schools should be so equipped with basic medical expertise that the children with disabilities may get appropriate medical assistance, guidance and advice.
The AIPA will submit a memorandum to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India inviting his kind attention to the aforementioned demands and seeking his intervention for realization of the same.
Lawyers, parents, students, professionals, children with disabilities , NGOs, social activists and concerned citizens in big number holding placards in their hands are expected to participate in this “HISTORICAL MARCH” to parliament on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010 from 11.00 am to 12.30 pm.
.
We request you to kindly join us and participate in time to make the March to Parliament for the protection of the right to education of the children with disabilities a great success.
With regards,
Ashok Agarwal, Advocate
National President, AIPA
M-09811101923
MARCH TO PARLIAMENT FOR THE PROTECTION OF RIGHT TO EDUCATION OF OVER TWO CRORES DISABLED CHILDREN ON SATURDAY, FEB 13, 2010 FROM 11.00 AM TO 12.30 PM – JOIN US AT JANTAR MANTAR AT 11.00 AM
Dear Friends,
It is shocking to know that even after 62 years of independence; over 2 crores children with disabilities of this country have totally been denied the right to education. What ever figures are available is the pointer of the fact that only less than one percent of these children with disabilities are in the mainstream school system. It is submitted that the children with disabilities are the worst sufferers as they are massively deprived of all human and fundamental rights. Interestingly, even those children who are in schools do not have basic facilities like special teachers, aids and appliances, reading and learning material, barrier free environment, special toilets, ramps etc. Even premier institution like Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS) have admitted before the Hon’ble Delhi High Court that they do not have any staff to take care of the educational needs of the disabled children studying in their schools. How long the rulers of this country would continue to deny the basic right to education to our children with disabilities?
It is submitted that all children including the children with disabilities have a basic human and fundamental right to receive good quality education in the mainstream schools as guaranteed to them under Article 14 (right to equality), Article 21 (right to life with dignity), Article 21-A (right to education) and Article 38 (right to social justice) of the Constitution of India read with the provisions of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995, Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 and UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2008). It is estimated that about 10 crores children are out of school and are engaged in labour though their right place is in schools. Those children who are in the government school system are receiving very poor quality of education. It is all happening due to the apathy of the governments towards the educational needs of the children of the masses of this country.
In order to highlight the violations of the right to education of the children with disabilities, All India Parents Association (AIPA) is organizing a March to the Parliament on Saturday, February 13, 2010 from 11.00 am to 12.30 pm
DEMANDING FROM THE CENTRAL AND THE STATE GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE THAT :
· No government or private school deny admission to the children with disabilities
· All the schools whether government or private shall provide totally free education to the children with disabilities at all levels
· All schools whether government or private should have all basic facilities like, adequate number of qualified special teachers, aids and appliances, ramps, special toilet, teaching and learning material, barrier free environment etc.
· Availability of basic facilities for the disabled children in school must be made a condition of grant of recognition to the school
· Totally free health security to the children with disabilities. Schools should be so equipped with basic medical expertise that the children with disabilities may get appropriate medical assistance, guidance and advice.
The AIPA will submit a memorandum to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India inviting his kind attention to the aforementioned demands and seeking his intervention for realization of the same.
Lawyers, parents, students, professionals, children with disabilities , NGOs, social activists and concerned citizens in big number holding placards in their hands are expected to participate in this “HISTORICAL MARCH” to parliament on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010 from 11.00 am to 12.30 pm.
.
We request you to kindly join us and participate in time to make the March to Parliament for the protection of the right to education of the children with disabilities a great success.
With regards,
Ashok Agarwal, Advocate
National President, AIPA
M-09811101923
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