On taking a serious note of the children dying in freak accidents in schools, Delhi High Court on Thursday directed to set up a zone-wise special task forces for inspection in these schools.
About the HC directive:
- Taking an account of the incidents in which two children died in their schools, a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal termed this matter as "unfortunate" and directed all schools to inspect their buildings and premises on periodical basis and submit a quarterly report to the Directorate of Education (DoE)
- On a monthly basis, executive engineers should visit the schools under their areas and should take steps to rectify the defects, if found
- The court order came on a plea seeking judicial inquiry into the deaths of two children in Ryan International School in Vasant Kunj and a municipal school in Kapashera area and for disaster management assessment of all the schools here.
Excerpts from the judgement:
- "All schools in Delhi including MCD, NDMC, government schools, private schools, government aided schools shall carry out periodical inspection of school buildings and premises and submit a quarterly report to the office of DoE, caretaking branch, GNCTD," the bench said in a bid to prevent any such incidents in future
- "DoE is directed to constitute a special task force, zone-wise, which will visit the schools under their respective zones on a monthly basis and submit their reports before DoE, caretaking branch, GNCTD," the bench said while disposing the plea.
- Col (Retd) Devinder Sehrawat, MLA from Bijwasan constituency, filed a PIL demanding a payment of Rs 50 lakh as compensation to the families of dead boys and to ensure safety of students in the schools.
- Six-year-old Divyansh Kakrora, a Class I student of Ryan International School in Vasant Kunj in South Delhi, died after falling into a tank in his school on January 30.
- Similarly, five-year-old Ankit died after falling into an open septic tank in a primary municipal school in Kapashera area of south Delhi on January 27.