The Supreme Court came down hard on an NGO for trying to revive a constitutional issue the Court had already settled. A bench of Justice B. V. Nagarathna and Justice R. Mahadevan dismissed a writ petition filed by United Voice for Education Forum and called it a clear misuse of the Court’s process. The judges reminded the petitioner that no writ lies against a Supreme Court judgment and imposed a cost of ₹1 lakh.
The petition asked the Court to revisit the 2014 Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust ruling, which held that minority educational institutions are not bound by Section 12(1)(c) of the Right to Education Act. The NGO argued that exempting these institutions weakens efforts toward inclusive education.
The bench rejected the plea outright and warned that allowing such petitions would undermine the finality of the Court’s decisions. It stressed that the Constitution already provides review and curative mechanisms and said attempts to reopen settled questions through Article 32 petitions are unacceptable. The Court also refused to let the NGO withdraw the case without consequences, saying the matter should stay on record to discourage similar filings.
Reaffirming the autonomy of minority institutions under Article 30(1), the bench said Pramati remains a binding constitutional judgment and cannot be reconsidered through collateral proceedings. The petition was dismissed, and the NGO was directed to deposit ₹1 lakh with the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.
Case Details:
Case Title: United Voice for Education Forum v. Union of India
Case Number: W.P. (C) No. 1194 of 2025
Court: Supreme Court of India
Bench: Justice B. V. Nagarathna and Justice R. Mahadevan
Date of Order: 12 December 2025
Advocate for Petitioner: Sumitra Kumari Choudhary
