Date: 7 August, 2026

To: Honourable Chief Justice

High Court of Uttar Pradesh

Subject: Issue order preventing closing of schools-colleges during Kanwar Yatra.

Honourable Sir,

Kindly treat this submission as a Public Interest Litigation.

The Uttar Pradesh government has ordered temporary closure of all educational institutions for different periods during 3-12 August, 2026 because of heavy pilgrim movement as part of Kanwar Yatra in Ghaziabad, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar and Baghpat Districts. 

Given that 94,000 government schools have permanently closed in the past decade with a 2.26 crore drop in school enrollment nationally, it sends a signal that government doesn’t give priority to education.

As a nation which aspires to join the ranks of developed nations, we can ill afford such a casual attitude towards education.

Could it not have been possible to suspend the Kanwar Yatra during the opening and closing hours of educational institutions? Please consider this matter suo-moto and issue an order that educational institutions should not be closed  during Kanwar Yatra or for any other social-religious-political events, except for the designated holidays. Any event which affects educational institutions should be organised around the timings of educational institutions.

Submitted by:

Sandeep Pandey

Secretary General, Socialist Party (India)

A-893, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226016, U.P.

Phone: 0522 2355978, 3564437

E-mail: ashaashram@yahoo.com