It is a fascinating story of a judicial pronouncement that upholds the virtue of aspiration in life. The credit goes to two judges of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, who recognised an 18-year-old girl’s passion for studies and appointed a senior IAS officer to mentor her in pursuing her civil services aspirations.
The girl had left home owing to the family pressure to discontinue her studies while she nursed civil service aspirations. The case came to light after her beleaguered father filed a writ petition seeking the production of his daughter.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf recognised the girl’s right to study and pursue ambition and even appointed a senior IAS officer as her mentor.
During the proceedings, the state placed a status report saying that the girl was a meritorious student who had left home because “her parents were insisting that she should discontinue her studies; however, she wanted to join public services.”
The court instructed the state to intensify the steps to trace out the girl. On November 6, the girl was produced before the court, where the girl admitted that she had left home, as she wanted to study and was facing some difficulty at her own house. The court noted that the girl was reluctant to go home.
She later agreed to stay at her parents’ house and prepare for the civil services examination when she was again produced on Nov 12. The father assured the court that he would ensure continuation of her studies and assist her in preparing for the civil services examination. The court recognised the girl’s right to study and noted that she was a “bright child” who wished to pursue her education. The court requested senior IAS officer Bandana Preyasi, currently posted as Secretary of the Social Welfare Department in Bihar, to act as her mentor and guide.
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