Badlapur assault case: Maharashtra issues guidelines for students’ safety in schools

A forensic squad examines the constabulary van successful which Akshay Shinde, the accused successful the Badlapur intersexual battle lawsuit of 2 insignificant girls, was killed successful constabulary encounter, successful Thane, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI

The Maharashtra Department of School Education and Sports issued a authorities solution (GR) with caller guidelines and measures for the information of children successful schools connected Tuesday (May 13, 2025). The Bombay High Court had ordered a reappraisal of information protocols portion trying a lawsuit involving the intersexual battle connected 2 minors successful Badlapur.

The measures successful the 23-page GR issued connected May 13 see enhanced CCTV surveillance of schoolroom entrances, corridors, main entrances and exits, playgrounds, and extracurricular toilets. It besides calls for counselling support, and improved handling of kid maltreatment cases, and collaboration betwixt schools, parents, and applicable authorities.

In a suo motu Public Interest Litigation successful August 2024, the High Court ordered the enactment of an adept committee to reappraisal the information protocols for children successful schools and different acquisition institutions. The tribunal appointed retired Justices Sadhana Jadhav and Shalini Phansalkar Joshi of the HC to caput a committee to supply broad recommendations for effectual implementation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act successful acquisition institutions. Former Indian Police Service, Meeran Borwankar was besides appointed arsenic portion of this committee on with a erstwhile schoolhouse principal. 

The GR suggests that erstwhile an acquisition institute receives accusation astir a intersexual offence against a child, the institute shall pass the section constabulary presumption oregon the Special Juvenile Police Unit wrong 1 month’s time; else, the constabulary can take ineligible enactment against the institute arsenic per the POCSO Act.   

Train children to kick

The GR says children indispensable beryllium told to lodge complaints regarding misconduct successful schoolhouse done the POCSO Act e-box and the mobile application, ‘Chirag.’ The container has been created by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, portion the app has been created by the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) successful concern with the International Justice Mission. Noticeboards and the school’s interior information partition should show accusation connected these utilities. Students should besides beryllium educated astir the kid helpline number, 1098.

Every schoolhouse premise indispensable person a main entranceway with walls connected each sides and a defender astatine the main entrance. There must be CCTV cameras installed successful capable numbers astatine strategical locations successful the premises with astatine slightest 1 month’s footage backup of the entrances of classrooms, corridors, main entrances and exits, playgrounds, extracurricular toilets, etc. The schools indispensable guarantee cameras are functioning. If this is not complied with, due enactment volition beryllium taken against schools, specified arsenic withholding the assistance oregon cancelling recognition.

Unauthorised persons should not beryllium allowed into schoolhouse premises. When it comes to attendance, teachers indispensable instrumentality attendance successful the morning, afternoon, and successful the evening erstwhile the schoolhouse closes. If a pupil is recovered missing parents should beryllium informed instantly done SMS.

Every schoolhouse indispensable person a trained, qualified, and experienced counsellor. Students facing bullying oregon carnal harassment indispensable usage the ailment box, and the ‘student information committee’ established astatine the schoolhouse indispensable instrumentality due measures to support the child.

At the pre-primary and superior level, children indispensable beryllium taught astir bully interaction and atrocious interaction with demonstrations.

The instauration indispensable guarantee that determination are nary paan stalls selling baccy products wrong a radius of 1km.

Employee verification

Workshops connected steadfast parenting should beryllium organised; isolated from self-defence programmes for children, interactive discussions connected health, kid marriage, and inclusivity in collaboration with counsellors and section doctors.  

The GR says schools indispensable behaviour quality and inheritance certification of each employees earlier appointing them. Technology-based utilities similar ‘crime and transgression grounds web systems’ should beryllium utilized for verification. If aft assignment an worker is recovered to person a transgression record, that idiosyncratic should beryllium instantly removed from service.

Schools volition beryllium solely liable for ensuring the information of students erstwhile it comes to transportation. Every schoolhouse indispensable instrumentality a GPS strategy for buses. There should beryllium 1 pistillate attendant successful each schoolhouse bus. CCTV cameras should besides beryllium installed successful the schoolhouse buses.

In lawsuit of an emergency, the main shall manus implicit custody of the kid to a pistillate teacher only, until parents oregon relatives arrive. There should besides beryllium abstracted toilets and communal rooms for girls and boys successful each school, with a pistillate attendant posted adjacent the girls’ and boys’ toilets. A buzzer oregon doorbell should beryllium installed successful each toilets.

Published - May 13, 2025 11:54 p.m. IST