1 CGHC010311582025 2026:CGHC:38560-DB NAFR HIGH COURT OF CHHATTISGARH AT BILASPUR WPPIL No. 66 of 2025 1 - Suo Moto Office Reference (For Grant of Permission To All Eligible Students Studied In The C B S E Affiliated Schools of Chhattisgarh For Participation In The Sports Session 2025-26). ... Petitioner versus 1 - Union of India Through The Secretary General of School Games Federation of India at 704-05 Aakriti Tower, 7th Floor, 19B Vidhan Sabha Marg, Lucknow U.P. 226001 2 - Secretary of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs Government of India Room No. 401, C-Wing, Shastri Bhawan New Delhi – 110001 3 - State of Chhattisgarh Through The Secretary, Department of School Education, Government of Chhattisgarh, Mantralaya, Naya Raipur, District Raipur Chhattisgarh 4 - Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI), Chhattisgarh Through The Director, Indravati Bhawan, Raipur, District Raipur Chhattisgarh 5 - Gurukul School Through The Principal, Bhatapara, District Baloda Bazar-Bhatapara Chhattisgarh 6 - Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Through- Chairman, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Inegrated Office Complex, Sector -23, Phase-1, Dwarka New Delhi-110077 Digitally signed by MOHAMMED AADIL KHAN Date: 2026.09.02 16:45:00 +0530 2 ... Respondents (Cause-title taken from Case Information System) __________________________________________________________________ Office reference Hon'ble Shri Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice Hon'ble Shri Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, Judge Per Ramesh Sinha, Chief Justice 01.09.2026 Heard Ms. Surya Kawalkar Dangi, amicus curae and Mr. Anand Mohan Tiwari, Advocate. Also heard Mr. Vidya B. Soni, counsel for Union of India and Mr. Shashank Thakur, Addl. Advocate General for the State. 1. The present WPPIL was filed claiming the following relief(s):- “i. To kindly Issue a writ in the nature of Certiorari, or any other appropriate writ, order, or direction, calling for the records pertaining to the issuance of impugned Order No. S.No./Ph.E./100/Misc/2025-2026/1161 dated 03.06.2025 from the respondents, and on examining the same, quash and set aside the impugned order as being illegal, arbitrary, unreasonable, and violative of the petitioners’ fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19(1)(g), 21, and 21A of the Constitution of India. ii. ii. To kindly Issue a writ in the nature of Mandamus, or any other appropriate writ, order, or direction, commanding the respondent State authorities to permit the petitioners - along with all other similarly situated students enrolled in CBSE-affiliated institutions - to participate in all development block, district, divisional, 3 and state-level school sports competitions conducted under the aegis of the State Education Department; such participation being subject only to age and other neutral eligibility criteria uniformly applicable to all students irrespective of board affiliation, thereby restoring the status quo of inclusion and prohibiting discrimination based on academic board. iii. To kindly Issue a declaration that any rule, policy, circular, or administrative order that creates a distinction or imposes discrimination among students solely on the basis of their academic board affiliation - such as between CBSE and State Board institutions - for the purpose of participation in State-organised or State-funded school sports competitions, is unconstitutional, void, and violative of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution (in particular Articles 14, 21, and 21A). It is further prayed that this Hon'ble Court declare that all school-going students constitute a single indivisible class for the purpose of access to public sporting platforms. iv. To kindly Issue appropriate directions to the respondent State authorities to formulate and implement a uniform policy framework that ensures non-discriminatory access to State-sponsored school sports competitions for all eligible students, regardless 4 of institutional affiliation, and to take necessary measures to prevent the recurrence of exclusionary practices such as those impugned in the present case. v. To kindly Award the costs of this litigation to the petitioners, as the filing of this petition has been necessitated solely due to the arbitrary, unreasonable, and unconstitutional actions of the respondent authorities. vi. To kindly Pass any other order or direction that this Hon'ble Court may deem fit, just, and proper in the facts and circumstances of the case, in the interest of justice and to uphold the constitutional rights of the petitioners.” Though vide order dated 30.07.2025, suo moto cognizance of the matter has been taken by this Court observing that:- “From perusal of the pleadings, it appears that the petitioner has personal interest in the matter. Hence, she is unable to satisfy this Court regarding the locus in filing the present writ peition (PIL). Thus, we take suo moto cognizance of the present matter with respect to the issue which has been brought to the notice of this Court. Hence, let the matter be treated as suo moto PIL (office reference) with appropriate cause title. We deem it appropriate to appoint Ms. Surya 5 Kawalkar Dangi and Ms. Aditi Singhvi, Advocates as Amici Curiae for the said matter to assist the Court” 2. Ms. Surya Kawalkar Dangi, learned amicus curiae submits that the impugned order dated 03.06.2025 is for the Session 2025- 2026 and the said session is over. 3. Since the session for which the impugned order was passed is already over, the present petition has become infructuous and the issue involved has become academic. Accordingly, we dispose of the present petition, leaving it open to the parties to raise their grievance in a separate proceeding, which shall be considered and decided in accordance with law. Sd/- Sd/- Sd/- (Ravindra Kumar Agrawal) (Ramesh Sinha) Judge Chief Justice Aadil