25 August 2026 Legal Updates

Rajasthan High Court Initiates Suo Motu PIL for the Welfare of Gen Z, Gen Alpha and Gen Beta

Case Details

• Case: In Re: In the Matter of Welfare and Future of Generation Gen-Z, Gen-Alpha and Gen-Beta
• Court: Rajasthan High Court
• Bench: Justice Anoop Kumar Dhand

Background of the Proceedings

The Rajasthan High Court took suo motu cognizance of the educational, professional, physical and mental-health challenges affecting Gen Z, Gen Alpha and Gen Beta. The Court observed that members of these generations would assume significant social, economic and political responsibilities by 2047, when India completes 100 years of independence. Their welfare, education and preparedness were therefore matters of national importance. The Court expressed concern that government schools, which primarily serve children belonging to vulnerable and economically weaker sections, were suffering from systemic deficiencies.

These deficiencies included:

• Inadequate basic infrastructure
• Absence of sufficient medical facilities
• Lack of trained personnel
• Limited access to digital and emerging technologies
• Gaps between education and employment
• Inadequate mental-health support
• Rising screen dependency and digital burnout
• Repeated incidents of examination-paper leaks
• Failure to prepare students for disruption caused by artificial intelligence

Issues Identified by the Court

The Court identified the following broad issues for consideration:

• Whether the existing educational system adequately prepares younger generations for a technology-driven future.
• Whether government schools possess the infrastructure, medical support and trained personnel necessary to provide meaningful education.
• How artificial intelligence and digital learning should be incorporated without weakening foundational abilities such as reading, handwriting, reasoning and original writing.
• Whether the State and Union Governments have an effective mechanism to prevent examination-paper leaks.
• Whether the education system sufficiently addresses the gap between academic qualifications and employability.
• Whether increasing screen time and digital burnout adversely affect the physical and mental development of children.
• Whether governments have effectively implemented regulations concerning safe food and balanced nutrition in educational institutions.
• What comprehensive policy framework should be adopted for the welfare and future of Gen Z, Gen Alpha and Gen Beta.

Nature of the Parties’ Contentions

As the proceedings were initiated suo motu by the High Court, there was no conventional petitioner placing an individual grievance before the Court. Similarly, no final adversarial contentions of the Union or State Governments were recorded at this preliminary stage.

The Court itself identified the constitutional and public-interest concerns and sought responses from the concerned governmental authorities.

1. Concerns identified on behalf of younger generations

The proceedings recognise that children and young adults are affected by:

• Inequal access to quality education
• Inadequate facilities in government schools
• Uncertainty created by paper leaks
• Unemployment and the education-to-employment gap
• Rapid changes caused by artificial intelligence
• Excessive dependence on technology
• Loss of foundational academic skills
• Sedentary lifestyles and excessive screen exposure
• Mental-health challenges and digital burnout
• Inadequate implementation of nutritional and food-safety standards

2. Response required from the governments

The State and Union Governments have been called upon to explain:

• The measures already taken to address these problems
• The policies presently in force
• The effectiveness of their implementation
• The future action plans proposed for protecting and preparing younger generations

Court’s Reasoning and Observations

1. Younger generations will shape India’s future

• The Court observed that Gen Z, Gen Alpha and Gen Beta will lead India in and beyond 2047. Their education and overall development must therefore be viewed as an investment in the country’s constitutional, social and economic future.
• Policy failures affecting these generations could have long-term consequences for national development.

2. Systemic deficiencies in government schools

• The Court expressed serious concern regarding the condition of government educational institutions.
• Government schools play a particularly important role because they provide the educational foundation for children belonging to vulnerable and economically weaker sections. Deficiencies in infrastructure, medical facilities, technology and trained personnel consequently deepen existing inequalities.
• The State’s obligation is not satisfied merely by providing formal admission. It must ensure access to meaningful, effective and quality education.

3. Right to education requires holistic development

• The Court connected educational reform with the constitutional right to education.
• The State is required to provide educational facilities to children irrespective of their class, income or social background. Education must be: holistic; scientific; progressive; inclusive; and consistent with India’s culture and intellectual heritage.
• Education should not merely enable students to pass examinations. It should develop their intellectual, ethical, social and professional capabilities.

4. Educational institutions must adopt emerging technologies

• The Court recognised that the world is rapidly progressing through artificial intelligence, digital learning and allied technologies. To remain globally competitive, Indian schools, colleges and universities must incorporate emerging technologies into their educational systems. Students should be trained to understand and use these technologies effectively.
• Failure to adopt technological developments could leave Indian students at a disadvantage in comparison with students from developed and developing countries.

5. Artificial intelligence must remain a tool

• The Court warned against excessive or uncritical dependence on artificial intelligence. Students cannot be trained exclusively through emerging technologies. Overdependence on AI may weaken: independent thinking; analytical reasoning; original writing; handwriting; manual writing skills; deep reading; and the habit of reading physical books.
• Technology should assist human intelligence, not replace it. Students must be capable of reasoning, analysing and expressing ideas independently.

6. Balance between technology and foundational skills

• The Court emphasised that embracing AI and modern teaching methods should not result in the abandonment of basic reading and writing abilities.
• Educational institutions must maintain a balance between: digital literacy and conventional literacy; technological competence and independent reasoning; AI-assisted learning and original thought; and global competitiveness and cultural or intellectual heritage.

7. Paper leaks violate the legitimate expectations of students

• The Court took note of recurring examination-paper leaks and their particularly serious effect on Gen Z.
• Paper leaks can: invalidate years of preparation; delay recruitment and admission processes; produce financial and psychological distress; undermine confidence in public examinations; adversely affect academic performance; and damage employment prospects.
• The Court therefore considered it necessary for governments to develop a foolproof preventive mechanism instead of merely responding after a leak has occurred.

8. Education-to-employment gap requires policy intervention

• The Court also recognised the widening gap between formal education and employment opportunities. Educational institutions must equip students with practical, intellectual and technological skills that correspond with changing professional requirements. Degrees without employable skills cannot fulfil the broader purpose of education.

9. Excessive screen time affects physical and mental health

• The Court referred to the increasing amount of time children spend in sedentary screen-based activities. Excessive screen exposure may adversely affect: physical development; emotional well-being; concentration; social interaction; sleep patterns; and mental health.
• Digital learning policies must therefore be accompanied by safeguards against screen addiction and digital burnout.

10. Health and nutrition form part of Article 21

• The Court held that children’s rights to health, nutrition and safe food are integral components of the right to life under Article 21. The State has a positive constitutional obligation to create conditions in which children can grow and develop in a safe and healthy manner.

11. Failure to effectively implement FSSAI regulations

• The Court referred to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s 2020 regulations concerning safe food and a balanced diet for children. It observed that, despite the regulations having been introduced in 2020, effective implementation measures had apparently not been taken by the Central and State Governments.
• The existence of regulations on paper is insufficient unless authorities establish mechanisms for enforcement, monitoring and accountability.

Directions Issued by the Court

At this stage, the High Court directed the concerned State and Union authorities to submit status reports and action plans regarding the measures taken or proposed in relation to:

• Improving infrastructure and facilities in government schools
• Providing adequate medical and health facilities in educational institutions
• Training teachers and educational personnel in emerging technologies
• Integrating artificial intelligence, digital learning and allied technologies into educational policies
• Preserving foundational skills such as reading, handwriting, independent reasoning and original writing
• Preparing students for AI-driven changes in education and employment
• Bridging the education-to-employment gap
• Creating a foolproof mechanism to prevent examination-paper leaks
• Addressing mental-health concerns and digital burnout
• Reducing the adverse effects of excessive screen time
• Ensuring children’s access to safe and nutritious food
• Effectively implementing the applicable FSSAI regulations and guidelines

These proceedings remain at a preliminary stage. The Court has sought governmental responses and has not yet delivered a final judgment conclusively determining all the issues.