Concerned about the reported incidents of children being abused in schools across the country, the Supreme Court has asked the central and state governments to respond to a PIL seeking an order to ensure safety of children in schools.
The bench headed by Chief Justice of India HL Dattu said: "It (PIL) is for a good cause. We issue notice." The PIL was filed through advocate Vineet Dhanda, seeking a directive to the governments to frame "rules, regulations and guidelines" for the protection of school-going children from the menace of sexual and mental abuse in school premises.
According to the petition, there is neither guidelines nor law to fix the liability of educational institutions in such cases. "It's the prime duty of schools, the government and the administration to protect the precious lives of children from being scarred as a result of such dastardly acts...," the lawyer said.
"The more disturbing part besides the gory crime of child abuse is that law hasn't fixed any liability on educational institutions in case of such offences in their premises, and even police administration goes out of the way to protect such institutions for their own vested interests," the PIL said.
"The petitioner is seeking indulgence of this court for direction to all authorities concerned in the states as well as the Union of India to awaken to the cause of innocent school-going children whose lives are endangered by the recklessness of school administration and lack of proper guidelines and fixation of liability of school authorities....," it said.
The PIL has referred to numerous newspaper reports about drastic rise in cases of sexual abuse of children within educational institutions, school transport and boarding houses. The petitioner also wants rules laid down for penalising educational institutions where incidents of sexual abuse take place.
Advocate Dhanda also sought police intervention for safeguarding school-going children from any kind of violence and abuse. He said schools were charging exorbitant fees as well as other charges, but were not discharging their elementary responsibility of protecting the lives of children when they are in schools.
Dhanda's petition says: "To protect the precious lives of children from being scared as a result of such dastardly acts is the prime duty of schools as well as prime duty of the government and administration…"
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