New Delhi, Jan. 14 -- Taking suo motu cognisance of the plight of homeless persons and hospital attendants exposed to freezing conditions, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday passed far-reaching interim directions requiring immediate, coordinated action by civic agencies, hospitals and law enforcement authorities across the capital.

The court underscored that failure to provide adequate night shelter during the severe cold wave strikes at the core of the fundamental right to life and dignity and cannot be justified on grounds of administrative constraints or lack of resources .

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, with Justice Tejas Karia, ordered the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to forthwith...