Lockdown: Delhi HC questions maintainability of PIL seeking online mindfulness classes for students
Jun 09, 2020
New Delhi [India], June 9 : Delhi High Court on Tuesday questioned the maintainability of PIL seeking directions for providing "online mindfulness classes" to all government and private school students to release stress, anxiety, depression, etc during the lockdown.
A division bench of Justice JR Midha and Justice Brijesh Sethi granted time to the petitioner to address the maintainability of the public interest litigation (PIL) and posted the matter for further hearing on June 17.
The PIL, moved by advocates Anshul Bajaj and Sonali Tiwary, sought directions to Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and State governments for providing online mindfulness classes for meditation, yoga, and relaxation to the students.
The plea said that the outbreak of coronavirus, which had led to a nationwide lockdown, has given rise to many mental health issues.
A sense of confinement that has settled in people's minds, more particularly among students, is giving rise to a series of mental health issues, the plea said. It said that suicide rates have gone up especially among those addicted to alcohol, etc who can no longer access these with ease.
The petitioners said that they had made a representation on May 27, 2020, to the respondent to provide mindfulness classes for students but nothing has been done for the same to date.
It also said that anxiety, frustration, panic attacks, loss or sudden increase of appetite, insomnia, depression, mood swings, delusions, fear, and suicidal tendencies, have become quite common during the lockdown.
Students with pre-existing psychological issues are unable to receive proper therapy on time or have had to go off prescription medication worsening their condition, the plea said adding that many psychologists and experts have said that meditation, yoga, and exercise are necessities for a stress-free life and have benefits such as improved thought process, increase in IQ Level and EQ level and help in being alert and discard any negative thoughts.
