<p>The <span class="key-term" data-definition="Supreme Court — India's apex judicial body, final interpreter of the Constitution; its judgments shape public policy (GS2: Polity)">Supreme Court</span> on <strong>April 13, 2026</strong> issued notices to the Union Government, state governments and all <span class="key-term" data-definition="Union Territories — administrative divisions directly governed by the Centre, distinct from states (GS2: Polity)">Union Territories</span> seeking their responses to a <span class="key-term" data-definition="Public Interest Litigation (PIL) — legal action initiated in court for the protection of public interest, often used to enforce rights and policies (GS2: Polity)">Public Interest Litigation (PIL)</span> that demands full implementation of the <span class="key-term" data-definition="Right to Education (RTE) Act — 2009 law guaranteeing free and compulsory education for children 6‑14 years; a fundamental right under Article 21A (GS2: Polity)">Right to Education (RTE) law</span>. The petition, filed by <strong>Haripriya Patel</strong>, also calls for the uniform rollout of the <span class="key-term" data-definition="New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 — comprehensive framework aiming to overhaul school and higher education, emphasizing equity and multidisciplinary learning (GS2: Polity)">New Education Policy (NEP)</span> across the country.</p> <h3>Key Developments</h3> <ul> <li>The bench, comprising <span class="key-term" data-definition="Chief Justice of India — head of the Indian judiciary, presides over the Supreme Court and allocates cases (GS2: Polity)">Chief Justice of India</span> <strong>Surya Kant</strong> and Justice <strong>Joymalya Bagchi</strong>, took note of the lawyer’s submissions on behalf of the petitioner.</li> <li>The Court announced that it is "issuing notices" and will "examine the issue", signalling a proactive stance on education rights.</li> <li>All central and state authorities, as well as Union Territories, have been directed to file their replies within the time frame prescribed by the Court.</li> </ul> <h3>Important Facts</h3> <p>The <span class="key-term" data-definition="Right to Education (RTE) Act — 2009 law guaranteeing free and compulsory education for children 6‑14 years; a fundamental right under Article 21A (GS2: Polity)">RTE law</span> obliges the government to provide free schooling for children aged six to fourteen. Despite the law’s existence for over a decade, many regions still lag in infrastructure, teacher recruitment, and enrolment ratios. The petitioner’s demand to align the implementation with the <span class="key-term" data-definition="New Education Policy (NEP) 2020 — comprehensive framework aiming to overhaul school and higher education, emphasizing equity and multidisciplinary learning (GS2: Polity)">NEP</span> reflects a push for quality, not just access.</p> <h3>UPSC Relevance</h3> <p>Understanding the interplay between the judiciary and education policy is cr