0.1% Of Kumbh Funds Could Have Saved Over 100 Marathi Schools: SC Judge

Supreme Court Justice Prasanna B Varale has raised concerns over the deteriorating condition of the government-run Marathi-medium schools, while government continue to prioritise other religious and infrastructure projects.

Justice Varale made the remarks while addressing an event at a high school in Dhule district, where he had studied for several years. The event marked the inauguration of smart classrooms at the institution.

Highlighting the state’s spending priorities, Justice Varale referred to the proposed expenditure for the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha Kumbh Mela and other infrastructure projects, Bar and Bench reported.

“The government claims to allocate vast funds for various initiatives. The Deputy Chief Minister mentioned ₹32,000 crore and the Chief Minister mentioned ₹34,000 crore for the Kumbh Mela. I read elsewhere about ₹11,000 crore being allocated for a corridor project,” he said.

The judge clarified that he was not opposed to government spending on development projects but argued that a small portion of such allocations could significantly strengthen the education sector.

“I have no objection whatsoever to the thousands of crores being spent by the government on various development initiatives. However, if out of these thousands of crores of allocated funds, even just 0.1%—around ₹32 crore—were spent by the government, then 100 to 125 Marathi-medium schools that have closed down across the state would not have shut down,” Justice Varale said.

Justice Varale also spoke about the value of education in regional languages, drawing from his own experience of studying in municipal and Zilla Parishad Marathi-medium schools until Class 10.

He said learning in Marathi shaped his outlook and helped him understand broader social values.

“Learning through the Marathi language gave me a broad, open-minded perspective toward others. My language taught me the values of brotherhood,” he said, referring to the thoughts of 13th-century saint-philosopher Sant Dnyaneshwar and poet Suresh Bhat.

The judge stressed that studying in a regional language had never limited his professional journey and instead contributed to his overall development.

Justice Varale also pointed to what he described as a decline in education’s share of public expenditure despite the rising number of students and growing requirements.

“At the central level, the budgetary allocation for education used to range between 8%, 12%, and 11%. Naturally, this budget should have increased given the growing student population. Instead, the funding allocated in the budget has decreased, failing to even reach 13% over many years,” he said.

He argued that increased investment was necessary to improve educational infrastructure and ensure better facilities for students.

The Supreme Court judge also referred to a recent incident involving a residential ashram school, where students allegedly faced a shortage of basic amenities.

“At a residential ashram school, female students were forced to sleep on the floor due to a lack of proper facilities. Tragically, three girls died from snakebites, and another is currently undergoing treatment in the hospital,” Justice Varale said.

He said such incidents reflected the urgent need to improve conditions in educational institutions, especially in rural areas.

Justice Varale encouraged students to cultivate curiosity and develop a habit of reading beyond their academic curriculum.

“My only appeal to you is to do whatever you enjoy and read whatever feels worth reading. Read about those who changed world history,” he advised.

The judge said teachers also had an important role in encouraging students to explore knowledge beyond textbooks and develop independent thinking.