Advocate Ashok Agarwal represented the petitioner Social Jurist. Mr. Ashok Agarwal has been practicing at the Delhi High Court and Supreme Court since 1982. From 1992 onwards he has been instrumental in the filing of numerous public interest litigations on environment, health and education. Major thrust was given to the PILs on right to education of the children, particularly those belonging to the socially oppressed and economically exploited sections of society. This has brought large scale reforms in the school education system in Delhi. He is also a member of CPI (M).

Contact: ashokagarwal1952@hotmail.com

Advocate R.M. Sinha represented the unrecognised schools in this case. He has been practicing in the Delhi High Court for the last 25 years and has been involved with numerous cases related to education.

Contact: 011-24922889

Mr. T.K. Mathew is the Secretary and Chief Executive, Deepalaya. Mr. Mathew is a founding member of Deepalaya and has an experience of 49 years in professional, development and consultancy work. He has won several awards including Manava Seva Award in 2007, Rotary Platinum President Award in 2006–07 and the erry Fox Run Award – by Canadian High Commission – 2002. He is also the Founding Trustee of South Asian Fund Raising Group and Founding Executive member and Chairperson of PRADAN, a professional NGO.

Contact: 011-28524348, tkmathew@deepalaya.org

Mr. R.C. Jain is the President of the Delhi State Public Schools Management Association. Mr. Jain is the manager of a reputed public school in East Delhi and has worked with UPSC and Punjab National Bank. He is an ex-Advisory Member of Delhi School Education Advisory Board, Directorate of Education, New Delhi. He has been very politically active as well. He has risen from the unit level to the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee. He is the author of three books including Antim Satya (1992),   Bapu ki Hatya (2001) and Tihat Jail Me Paanch Din, Ek Vyatigat Anubhav. He has also acted in theatre. He has won several awards, the Shastrabadi National Human Welfare Award – 2000 and Shiksha Rattan Award 1992 to name a few.

Contact: 9810331709

Dr. Jisnu Das is a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi and an Economist in the Development Research Group at the World Bank. His areas of interest include Development Economics, Health, Education, Learning and Industrial Organization. He has published numerous papers, articles and reports, many of which are on education. He was awarded the George-Bereday Award for Outstanding Paper in Comparative Education Review, 2006 and the Stockholm Challenge Award for Outstanding ICT projects in the Public Administration Category for www.risepak.com. Dr. Das received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in Economics in 2001.

Contact: jdas1@worldbank.org

Dr. Parth Shah is the President of Centre for Civil Society. Profile

Contact: 011-26537456, parth@ccs.in