Frame Guidelines To Ensure Safety Of School Children Within 3 Months: SC to HRD Ministry

“The Ministry of HRD shall draft guidelines after going through the suggestions submitted by various states, Petitioners and stakeholders. Such rules shall be applicable to both private and government schools. It shall be submitted within three months”, the SC bench said.

A bench of justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Rohinton Nariman of the Supreme Court today directed the Ministry of Human Resources Development to draft effective guidelines to ensure the safety and security of children inside school premises across the country.

The bench said the guidelines which the Centre is to draft after collating the suggestions already submitted to the court by various states and petitioners will be applicable to both private and government schools.

“The Ministry of HRD shall draft guidelines after going through the suggestions submitted by various states, petitioners and stakeholders. Such rules shall be applicable to both private and government schools. It shall be submitted within three months”, the bench said.

With this direction, the court disposed of the public interest litigations filed by Barun Chandra Thakur, father of seven-year-old Pradyuman Thakur who was murdered in the washroom of Ryan International School in September last year and advocate Abha Sharma.

The petitioners had moved the Supreme Court seeking framing of non- negotiable child safety conditions and implementation of existing guidelines to protect school-going children from offences like sexual abuse and murder across the country.

The plea also sought cancellation of licences and forfeiture of state grants of erring schools

Besides Union Human Resources Ministry, the plea has made all state governments and Union territories (UTs) as parties and has sought proper implementation of existing guidelines of authorities including the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) on prevention of child abuse in schools.

The PIL raised the issue of children being exploited and subjected to child abuse repeatedly within the boundaries of the schools and demanded that central and state governments notify a set of non-negotiable child safety conditions for schools.

Besides Union Human Resources Ministry, the plea has made all state governments and Union territories (UTs) as parties and has sought proper implementation of existing guidelines of authorities including the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) on prevention of child abuse in schools.