Panaji: The failure of Goa Government to provide books to students in due time has forced a class 8 student, Siddhant Premanand Phadate, from Bhatikar Model High School to file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) with the Goa Bench of Mumbai High Court at Panaji.

This is the first time in the history of the state that a 13 year old student has filed a PIL with the High Court.

Though the academic session started on June 5, even after almost a month, the government has not provided free textbooks to students, Siddhant said in the PIL.

"Those responsible for delaying the supply of books should be punished so that in the future the same does not happen again", he appealed.

Taking cognizance of the PIL, the High Court has served a show-cause notice to the state government and has asked concerned authorities to clarify the matter.

Meanwhile, the Goa Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (GBSHSE) has informed that it has already delivered the new Class 10 History-Civics and Hindi textbooks in the office of A.D.E.I. of respective talukas.

The textbooks will be delivered to all students free of cost. The Heads of Schools must collect the required number of copies of the textbooks from the Office of ADEI of the taluka by giving an attested copy of attendance of students for Std. X of their school for June 20, 2008, a Board official said.

By - Sanjay Borkar

Sanjay Borkar is a freelance journalist with the National Network of Education (NNE). He can be contacted at Goajournalist@rediffmail.com.