Chandigarh, Oct. 14 -- The Punjab and Haryana high court has come down heavily on the Punjab education department, chiding its senior officials for being "oblivious" to the condition of schools. "Even in a welfare state, the state government must bear in mind that the younger generation of state of Punjab has to compete in global market in future and the education is not a consumer service," the bench of justice NS Shekhawat observed while seeking data onteachers' availability, classrooms and other related infrastructure in state's primary and middle schools. The bench had come across two petitions, one challenging the decision of authorities in Amritsar not to relieve a teacher from a middle school despite his transfer order. Later, it had come to fore that the petitioner was the only teacher in the school. The second petition was from a woman primary teacher, who was in court regarding a dispute over her deputation to a school in Ludhiana, also having just one teacher. Appalled over the state of affairs, the court had also sought infrastructure details in these two schools. "It appears that the education of young children is not a priority of the state...the schools completely lack the basic infrastructure, classrooms and toilets, and no qualified teachers/head teacher have been provided," the court observed while referring both the matters to the chief justice to be taken up as public interest litigations (PILs). These orders were passed on September 22 and 23, and suo motu proceedings have yet to be initiated by the court. The bench of justice Shekhawat ordered that details be provided of all middle schools, with less than five rooms. It also sought details of schools with no regular head master, less than five teachers and those separate toilets for boys, girls and staff. The court further ordered that details of schools be given where there were less than 50 students and whether any steps had been taken to get more students enrolled. Details have also been sought about availability of clean drinking water, availability of sweepers and playgrounds, etc. The court noted that to provide free and compulsory education to all children of this country between the age of six and 14, the Parliament had inserted Article 21-A in the Constitution of India by way of Constitution (86th Amendment) Act, 2002, and had enacted the Right of the Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009. "The central and state governments have concurrent responsibility for providing funds for carrying out the provisions of this Act," it underlined, adding that the state government should have acted bearing in mind that "destiny of a nation rests with its youths"....