Expose students to nature, says Hyderabad High Court

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court on Tuesday felt that the participation of students in programmes like Haritha Haram and moral science classes would help them have a better understanding about the nature and moral values.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Thottathil B. Radhakrishnan and Justice V. Ramasubramanian, while dealing with a PIL by Old Students Association of Postgraduate College of Osmania University represented by its general secretary A. Ramakrishna questioned the petitioner what is wrong if students were involved in the awareness programmes taken up by the governments.

The petitioner urged the court to declare the action of the AP government involving school children in rallies and gatherings of any kind as a form of captive audience as illegal and unconstitutional.

While questioning the action of the state government in involving the Vanam Manam programme, the petitioner alleged that the state government was involving students in their political activities in the guise of awareness programmes.

Counsel for the petitioner told the court that students had drowned in River Godavari in East Godavari district on July 14 while they were being escorted by the authorities to participate in the Vanam Manam programme.

Stating that it will intervene if the petitioner cites any specific difficulties facing by students while participating in the awareness programmes of the government, the bench asked the counsel about the object of the Vanam Manam programme.

When counsel for the petitioner sought time to place the details of the programme before the court, the bench adjourned the case to September 10.