Supreme Court to hear plea seeking access to public schools and hospitals for Rohingya refugees tomorrow

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The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea from a non-governmental organisation (NGO) seeking a direction to the Centre and the Delhi government to grant Rohingya refugees in the national capital access to public schools and hospitals, reported news agency PTI.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh will hear the plea.

On January 31, the Supreme Court asked the NGO, the Rohingya Human Rights Initiative, to provide details about where the refugees are settled in Delhi and what facilities are available to them, PTI reported. It also asked Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves to file an affidavit outlining their places of settlement in the city.

Gonsalves stated that the NGO was seeking access to public schools and hospitals for the Rohingya refugees as they had been denied these services owing to their lack of Aadhaar cards. He said, "They are refugees having UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) cards and therefore they can't have Aadhaar cards. But, for want of Aadhaar they are not being granted access to public schools and hospitals."

The bench had pointed out that as no aggrieved parties were present before the court, the NGO must file an affidavit indicating the locations of the refugees, specifying whether they lived in camps or residential colonies, PTI reported. Gonsalves had stated that the Rohingya refugees were living in areas such as Shaheen Bagh, Kalindi Kunj, and Khajuri Khas in Delhi. "In Shaheen Bagh and Kalindi Kunj, they are residing in slums, and in Khajuri Khas they are residing in rented accommodation," he had informed the court.

The top court had clarified that the purpose of asking these questions was to determine whether the refugees lived in camps, as the nature of the relief would differ based on it.

PIL seeks free education and exam access for Rohingya children

Gonsalves had also submitted that in previous matters concerning the Rohingyas, the Centre had maintained that they had the right to access public schools and hospitals.

Initially, the top court had suggested that as the issue concerned Rohingyas in the national capital and the NGO had challenged a circular issued by the Delhi government, it might be more appropriate for the matter to be taken to the high court.

The public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the NGO is seeking a direction to authorities to allow all Rohingya children to be admitted to schools free of charge, regardless of their possession of Aadhaar cards, and to permit them to participate in all examinations, including class 10, 12, and graduation exams, without the requirement for government-issued identity proofs.

Additionally, the PIL has called for the extension of all government benefits - such as free health services in government hospitals, subsidised food grains under the Antyodya Anna Yojana scheme, and benefits under the Food Security Act - to Rohingya families, just as they are made available to other citizens, regardless of their citizenship status.

(With PTI inputs)