LUCKNOW, Aug. 7 -- The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad high court has imposed Rs.50,000 cost on the state for the lethargy, inaction and insincerity of concerned officials in the matter pertaining to the recognition of educational institutions in Uttar Pradesh. The division bench of Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjive Shukla passed the order on August 3 on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by one Uday Pratap Singh in 2019. The petition raised the issue of recognition of educational institutions in Uttar Pradesh. On December 16, 2025, the court passed the order in the matter and sought a response from the state authorities. The court said in spite of more than seven months having been passed since the December order was passed, the meeting of the concerned committee headed by the special secretary, which considers grant or withdrawal of recognition of educational institutions, has not been held. "This is the response of the state, when we are seized with a Public Interest Litigation. The concerned officials have not been able to find even a single day in the past more than seven months to hold the meeting, with the result, that the admitted illegality continues unabated", the court said. The state counsel sought four weeks' additional time. Granting it, the court imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 on the state. "The matter shall now come up before this Court on 07.09.2026, when the Special Secretary concerned shall appear before this Court, along with the decision which is required to be taken," the court ordered. It also directed that a copy of the order shall be sent to the additional chief secretary/ principal secretary, secondary education, UP, for ensuring compliance. htc...