Justice Varale flagged the state’s shrinking education allocation despite a growing student population and stressed the urgent need for basic facilities in rural schools.
BY PC Bureau
August 24: A shrinking education budget, the closure of Marathi-medium schools and inadequate facilities in rural institutions have raised serious questions about Maharashtra’s spending priorities, Supreme Court judge Justice Prasanna B. Varale has said, arguing that even a tiny fraction of the money allocated for the Nashik Kumbh Mela could have kept dozens of schools open.
Speaking at the inauguration of smart classrooms at a high school in Dhule district, Justice Varale said 0.1 per cent of the expenditure earmarked for the Nashik Kumbh could have prevented the closure of 100 to 125 Marathi-medium schools across Maharashtra.
He said the state government allocates between ₹32,000 crore and ₹34,000 crore for the Kumbh Mela, while around ₹11,000 crore is earmarked for corridor projects. Even 0.1 per cent of the lower Kumbh allocation would amount to about ₹32 crore, he noted.
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Justice Varale also expressed concern over the declining share of education in the state budget despite an increase in the number of students. He said education spending had failed to reach even 13 per cent of the state budget for several years.
Recalling his own educational journey, Justice Varale said he studied up to Class 10 in municipal and Zilla Parishad Marathi-medium schools. Studying in his regional language, he said, had never been an obstacle to his professional growth and instead helped broaden his outlook.
Speaking later to NDTV, Justice Varale said he had voiced what he genuinely felt about the condition of schools. He stressed that children were the country’s future and that schools must provide them with basic facilities.
कुंभमेळा बजेटच्या पॉईंट वन पर्सेंट सरकारी शाळांवर खर्च केले असते तर या शाळा बंद पडल्या नसत्या.
सुप्रीम कोर्टाचे जज प्रसन्न वराळे यांचे हे वक्तव्य आहे. रेड कार्पेट मिडीया कॉर्प या इव्हेंट मॅनेजमेंट कंपनीमार्फत आज रेशीमबागेत मेळावा घेणाऱ्या फडणवीसांना ही चपराक आहे. @saamTVnews pic.twitter.com/WAYCqlMze7— Mahadev Balgude (@Mahadev_Balgude) August 23, 2026
“Primary education and healthcare are fundamental rights of every citizen,” he said.
Justice Varale also drew attention to the stark conditions faced by children in some rural schools. He referred to an incident involving a school run by a religious institution where three girls, reportedly forced to sleep on the floor because of inadequate facilities, died after snakebites.
The judge’s remarks came against the backdrop of the closure of several Marathi-medium schools in the state. He argued that greater attention should be given to strengthening basic education infrastructure, particularly in rural and economically disadvantaged areas.
His comments also questioned the balance between expenditure on large public events and infrastructure projects and spending on essential services such as education. While acknowledging the importance of development projects, Justice Varale stressed that children should not be deprived of basic educational facilities because of inadequate funding.
The remarks have brought renewed focus on Maharashtra’s education priorities and the continuing challenges faced by Marathi-medium and rural schools.
