Supreme Court Justice Prasanna B Varale questioned Maharashtra's education priorities, saying 0.1% of reported spending on the Nashik Kumbh Mela could have saved several Marathi-medium schools from closure. He added that many schools still lack basic facilities despite substantial spending on other government initiatives.
Supreme Court Justice Prasanna B Varale, while attending an event organised by a high school in Maharashtra’s Dhule district, highlighted concerns over the shrinking education budget in Maharashtra, which he said was contributing to the closure of state-run Marathi-medium schools.
Speaking at the event, organised to mark the launch of ‘Smart Classes’, Justice Varale said that even if 0.1% of the funds being spent on events such as the Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha or Nashik Kumbh Mela were allocated to education, several Marathi-medium schools could have been saved from closure.
Justice Varale cites Kumbh spending
Justice Varale was attending the event at a school where he had studied for a few years. He said, “The government claims to allocate vast funds for various initiatives. The Deputy Chief Minister mentioned Rs 32,000 crore, and the Chief Minister mentioned Rs 34,000 crore for the Kumbh Mela. I read elsewhere about Rs 11,000 crore being allocated for a corridor project,” reported .
