The Supreme Court on Tuesday mandated the implementation of the Centre’s guidelines on the safety and security of children in schools across all states and union territories (UTs). The court further instructed the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to coordinate with states and UTs to ensure compliance and oversee the process.
A bench comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and N Kotiswar Singh emphasized the importance of child safety in schools and noted that the guidelines have already been notified by the Centre. The union government has been directed to send copies of the guidelines to the chief secretaries or equivalent officers of all states and UTs for immediate action. The NCPCR has also been tasked with seeking status reports from the states and UTs regarding their adherence to these guidelines.
This directive comes in response to a plea filed by the NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan following incidents of child sexual abuse in schools, including a recent case in Badlapur, Maharashtra, where two schoolgirls were allegedly raped by a staff member. Senior advocate HS Phoolka, representing the NGO, informed the court that only five states had implemented the guidelines, despite the urgent need to protect children from abuse and assault.
The petition, initially filed on May 6, 2019, highlighted the failure of states and UTs to notify and implement the 2018 guidelines prepared by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) in consultation with the NCPCR. These guidelines aim to hold school management accountable for ensuring the safety of children in government, government-aided, and private schools.
The NGO’s plea pointed to the Badlapur incident as an “eye-opener,” underscoring the failure of schools to safeguard their students. The petition urged the Supreme Court to direct state and UT governments to immediately notify and enforce the guidelines, which were updated in 2021 by the Ministry of Education.
The court’s ruling aims to prevent further tragedies and ensure that schools across India prioritize the safety and security of their students. The NCPCR has been given the responsibility of monitoring the implementation process and reporting back to the court.
(With agency inputs)