New Delhi, Aug 23 (IANS): The Delhi High Court on Wednesday dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought directions for the Delhi government to formulate a policy connecting coaching centres with schools and colleges.

The division bench, comprising Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula, observed that the court lacks the authority to compel the government to establish such a policy, declining to grant the relief requested.

The bench said that attending coaching centres remains a matter of choice and is not mandatory for students.

The court said that it cannot direct the state government to frame a policy to connect coaching centres with schools and colleges and to partner with them. "We find no reason to grant the relief as prayed for in the PIL. The same is dismissed," the bench said.

The petitioner, Girish Kumari Gupta, had raised concerns about the proliferation of coaching centres across the country.

Gupta urged for devising a policy facilitating the connection of these centres with educational institutions.

Delhi Government's standing counsel, Santosh Kumar Tripathi, argued against the issuance of a mandamus to enact such a law.

Tripathi said that it would be impractical to establish links between coaching centres and schools or colleges as sought in the PIL. The court said that coaching is a voluntary choice, not an obligation. It said: "In the considered opinion of this court, coaching is optional and not mandatory... and no child can be forced to attend coaching centres."