Lok Sabha Question No. 4175 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-12-12
Subject: Safety in Schools
Ministry: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: GEETHA KOTHAPALLI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4175 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 TH  DECEMBER, 2016

## Safety in Schools

## 4175.  SHRIMATI KOTHAPALLI GEETHA:

Will the Minister of HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  there  were  reports  of  students  dying  after  falling  into  water harvesting tanks in Government/ private schools in the Country and if so, the details thereof during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (b) the details of the remedial steps taken by the Government to prevent such incidents in future including issuing necessary instructions to schools and enforcing the same; and
- (c) the  details  of  action  taken  by  schools  found  to  be  violating  the  prescribed  safety  norms, school-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (SHRI UPENDRA KUSHWAHA)

(a) to (c) : The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has informed that one instance has been reported to the Board in last three years and the current year regarding student(s) dying after falling into water harvesting tanks in schools affiliated with the CBSE. The detail for the same is given below:

|   Sl. No. | State   |   No. of complaint |
|-----------|---------|--------------------|
|         1 | Delhi   |                 01 |

The matter is subjudice and pending before the Hon'ble Delhi High Court.

State  Governments  and  Union  Territory  Administrations  have  the  direct  responsibility  to ensure safety of students in schools under their territorial control. The Ministry of Human Resource Development  has issued guidelines in October, 2014 to State Governments for safety and security of school children, including preventive mechanisms and procedures required to be put in place in the schooling system alongwith  relief and redressal strategies in case of  any incident. Further, Sub- sections 1 and 2 of Section 17 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act,  2009  states  'No  child  shall  be  subjected  to  physical  punishment  or  mental  harassment. Whoever contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be liable to disciplinary action under the  service  rules  applicable  to  such  person.'  Under  Sarva  Shiksha  Abhiyan  programme,  School Management Committees  (SMCs)  are  trained  especially  on  all  aspects  of  safety  and  security  of children in schools.

The  CBSE  has  formulated  and  circulated  detailed  guidelines  to  its  affiliated  schools  for safety of students in schools and prevention of accidents relating to school children.  Rule 8.5 of the Affiliation Bye laws prescribes that 'the School should scrupulously observe prescription from the Municipal  Authority/District  Collectorate/Transport  Department  regarding  drinking  water,  fire safety  and  transport  precautions  in  the  school.  A  certificate  from  the  Municipal/Fire/Transport Authority regarding sanitary conditions, water/fire/transport safety should be submitted along with the  application.  A  fresh  certificate  regarding  fulfilment  of  these  requirements  should  be  obtained and submitted to the Board every five years.'

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