New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has set up a committee to inspect security standards in schools to prevent crimes against students. It is learnt that a committee called the Child Safety Monitoring Committee (CSMC) will be responsible to ensure that the safety measures mentioned in the Delhi government's 2017 circular are implemented and monitored.
The CSMC has been given six months to submit a report on its findings. The committee will be headed by a former legal services officer and will include members of the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights and a lawyer. In a recent order, a bench of Chief Justice SC Sharma and Justice Sanjiv Narula, while hearing a case, set up a Child Protection Monitoring Committee to ensure that the steps mentioned in the Delhi government's 2017 circular in this regard are implemented and monitored.
The committee come in the backdrop of sexual assault of a minor girl by a school sweeper. It can be recalled that in August, a three-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by a school sweeper in Panchsheel Enclave. The high court has tasked the CSMC, headed by former legal services officer RM Sharma, to inspect schools in Delhi with regard to minimum standards of school safety and other ancillary matters related to the issue.
Also read:Take action against universities offering unspecified degrees: Delhi HC tells UGC
Other members of the committee will be Delhi State Commission for Protection of Child Rights member Ranjana Prasad and advocate Manny Brar. CSMC has been given six months to submit the report. It is learnt that the deadline for submission of the report can be further extended. The Court directed the Chief Secretary to provide all necessary facilities to the panel to conduct monitoring and inspection in various schools with regard to school safety and other matters.
The bench took the action after examining the government's reply on the suggestion of Delhi government's standing counsel Santosh Tripathi. The Directorate of Education argued that it has issued various circulars and guidelines to schools regarding the safety and security of students. The Directorate of Education said that the services of the accused have been terminated and had earlier claimed that zero tolerance and police verification of all school employees has been made mandatory.
Regarding such incidents, the Delhi government informed the High Court that an FIR has been registered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act. The Directorate of Education told the court that the school was violating safety guidelines and a show cause notice has been issued in this regard.
It further told the court that to ensure the safety of students, CCTVs have been installed in 651 out of 728 schools, but live streaming has not been done. In a status report, the concerned police station incharge had submitted that the accused was arrested on August 3 and was sent to judicial custody.
