Lok Sabha Question No. 1627 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-02-11
Subject: Sexual Harassment of Girl Children in Schools
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: S. Venkatesan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1627

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.02.2022

## SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF GIRL CHILDREN IN SCHOOLS

## 1627.  SHRI S. VENKATESAN:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) Whether the Government has taken note of the reports of increasing sexual harassment of Girl children in schools;
- (b) If so, the special efforts made to check such atrocities; and
- (c) The steps taken to strengthen the complaint system to enable girls report such issues without fear?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (c): The Government accords highest priority for ensuring safety and security of children and has undertaken various interventions in this regard. To safeguard children against sexual abuse  and  sexual  harassment,  Government  has  enacted  Protection  of  Children  from  Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. The act defines a child as any person below the age of 18 years.

POCSO Act under section-12 provides punishment for committing sexual harassment which shall  be  with  imprisonment  of  either  description  for  a  term  which  may  extend  to  three years and shall also be liable to fine. The Act was further amended in 2019 to introduce more stringent punishment including death penalty for committing sexual crimes on children, with a view to deter the perpetrators & prevent such crimes against children.

Further the POCSO Rules, 2020 were also notified by the Ministry to protect the children from  exploitation/violence  and  sexual  exploitation.  POCSO  Rules  under  Rule-3  provides  that any  institution  housing  children  or  coming  in  regular  contact  with  children  including  schools, creches, sports academies or any other facility for children must ensure a police verification and background  check  on  periodic  basis,  of  every  staff,  teaching  or  non-teaching,  regular  or contractual, or any other person being an employee of such Institution coming in contact with the  child.  Such  Institution  shall  also  ensure  that  periodic  training  is  organized  for  sensitizing them on child safety and protection.

National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has compiled different guidelines and  formed  a  comprehensive  manual  titled ' Manual  on  Safety  and  Security  of  Children  in Schools' .  The  manual is available on NCPCR's website at  https://ncpcr.gov.in. Based on the manual  various  sensitization  programmes  for  school  authorities  and  staff  have  also  been organized.  Guidelines  on  cyber  safety  and  security  of  children  have  been  compiled  by NCPCR. NCPCR conducted various workshops on salient features of POCSO Act / POCSO EBox and Role of Emotional Intelligence in sensitization of teachers and students.

To  ensure  safety  of  girl  children,  following  steps  have  been  taken  by  Ministry  of Education, Department of School Education and Literacy (DoSEL) to create, awareness among children about Child Sexual Abuse-:

In the textbooks published by NCBRT, the inner pages include a reference to POCSO ebox  available  at  NCPCR@gov.in  and  number  1098-a  national  24  hours  toll  free  emergency phone service for children in distress.

School Safety Pledge : Ministry of Education has issued an advisory to all States and UTs to display School Safety Pledge, including important contact numbers, at a prominent place in the school  to  increase  awareness  about  the  redressal  mechanism  and  ensure  physical  and psychological well-being of the children.

' KOMAL ' - a short film on Good Touch and Bad Touch, commissioned by Ministry of Women and Child Development, has been circulated to States and UTs on 02.03.2020 for sensitization of children and institutions.

Internal  Complaint  Committee: As  per  the  provision  of  Sexual  Harassment  of  Women  at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, Department of School Education and  Literacy  has  requested  all  States  &  Union  Territories,  Kendriya  Vidyalaya  Sangathan, Navodaya Vidyalaya Sangathan, Central Tibetan School Administration and Central Bureau of Secondary  Education  to  constitute  separate  Grievance  Redressal  Committee  and  Internal Complaint Committee  on 03.08.2020.

Self defence training to Girls: To empower girls to tackle risk of assault and for boosting their self confidence, under Samagra Shiksha, Self defence training is imparted to girls of class VI to XII  belonging  to  Government  Schools.  Self  Defence  training  for  girls  is  an  activity  under Samagra Shiksha.  Fund  for this purpose is provided are provided to schools for inculcating self-defence skills  including  life  skill  for  self-protection  and  self-development  among  the  girls. Self defence training is also being given in Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas.

NISHTHA :  Under  NISHTHA  (National  Initiative  for  School  Heads'  and  Teachers'  Holistic Advancement), a nation-wide integrated teacher training program for teachers under Samagra Shiksha,  teachers  have  been  oriented  on  counselling,  provisions  of  POCSO  Act,  Juvenile Justice Act, School Safety guidelines, helpline and  emergency  numbers,  drop-box  for complaints, etc.

NEP 2020 focuses on the safety  and  security of  school-going  girls  both  inside  and outside of the campus. The schools have to ensure harassment, discrimination, and domineer free campus before enlisting for yearly accreditation. This will increase the attendance number of  girl  children  in  the  class.  The  policy  will  identify  social  mores  and  gender  stereotypes  that prevent girls from accessing education and causing regular dropouts.

Considering the cases relating to Child Sexual Abuse being reported in the media, an online complaint management system POCSO e-Box has been developed, which is  for easy and direct reporting of sexual offences against children and timely action against the offenders under the POCSO Act, 2012.

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