New Delhi

The Supreme Court of India on Monday asked a petitioner seeking regulation of all institutions imparting education or religious instruction to children below the age of 14 to first approach the Government of India.

A bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma directed petitioner advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay to pursue his representation before the Centre.

Disposing of the writ petition, the bench directed the Union government to examine Upadhyay’s representation dated February 4, 2026, take an appropriate decision, and communicate the outcome to him.

When the petitioner continued pressing for judicial intervention, the bench remarked, “You are before a bench with judges who are very conservative and traditional. We don't jump the gun.”

The court further observed that “Justice is not a one-way road. The executive also has a role to play in it.”

The petition, filed through advocate Ashwani Dubey, sought directions for the registration, recognition, supervision and monitoring of all institutions providing secular education or religious instruction to children up to the age of 14.

The plea cited constitutional provisions including Article 21A, Article 39(f), Article 45 and Article 51A(k), arguing that the State has a heightened responsibility toward children.

The petition also sought a declaration regarding the interpretation of Article 30 of the Constitution of India, contending that it does not confer additional rights beyond those guaranteed under Article 19(1)(g).

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In his plea, Upadhyay claimed that during visits to districts along the border areas of Uttar Pradesh, he found several allegedly unregistered and unrecognised institutions operating without adequate regulatory oversight.