Supreme Court Issues Interim Order to Ensure Education, Health, and Housing Rights of Displaced Squatter Settlement Children
Summary prepared after review of file image news. The Supreme Court has issued an interim order directing the government to guarantee the education, health, and housing rights of children displaced from squatter settlements. Kathmandu, August 8. The Supreme Court has mandated that the government ensure the fundamental rights including education, health, and housing of children displaced from squatter settlements and various other locations. The single bench of Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla issued this order on August 4.
The writ petition was filed by Tilottam Paudel, president of the Network for Children Active in Child Peace Areas National Campaign, alongside Varun Basnyal from the Informal Sector Service Center (INSEC) Bagmati Province Office, both working in the human rights sector. During the preliminary hearing, the court acknowledged that displacement has had a serious impact on children’s education. The court emphasized the necessity of ensuring enrollment, continuous schooling, and access to basic services for displaced children.
The order highlighted risks that children from squatter settlements could be excluded from schools, denied their right to education, and face negative impacts on their life and development. Citing reports from the National Human Rights Commission and public interest concerns, the court concluded urgent protection was necessary. The Supreme Court directed that children already enrolled must be supported to continue their education, and those not yet enrolled should be admitted in nearby schools free of charge by the end of August.
Additionally, the government was instructed to provide free textbooks, uniforms, transportation facilities, educational materials, psychosocial counseling, and necessary support services for children with disabilities. The court directed authorities to collaborate with local bodies to arrange residential education and create an appropriate environment if displacement effects worsen. The order also mandates provision of quality housing and necessary health care for pregnant and lactating women, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, children, and the sick.
The writ sought an interim order to protect education, health, and other fundamental rights of children displaced from squatter settlements. The court underscored the constitutional guarantees to education, children’s rights, the right to live with dignity, and housing rights, issuing the interim order accordingly. The Supreme Court instructed relevant stakeholders to be informed of the order and to implement it in accordance with regulations.