Supreme Court rejects plea against Rajasthan, UP school entry restrictions

The Supreme Court has declined to hear a plea challenging restrictions imposed by Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh on outsiders, journalists, and social media creators entering government schools, along with curbs on photography and livestreaming. The court stated it was not inclined to entertain the petition. The bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe rejected the plea filed by Priya Mishra on September 1. The petitioner argued the restrictions violated constitutional rights under Articles 14, 19, 21, and 21-A, claiming they unreasonably limited documentation of public school conditions despite children's privacy concerns. Rajasthan's permission-based rule remains in force following the decision. The restrictions were issued after the Cockroach Janta Party announced a campaign to inspect schools, while the state government defended the move as protecting children's privacy, dignity, and safety under the principle of "in loco parentis."