Supreme Court orders states, UTs to notify Centre’s school safety guidelines

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked all states and Union Territories to notify the Centre’s guidelines on school safety and security.

The order came from a Bench led by Justice BV Nagarathna on a petition filed by Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) in 2019 seeking the implementation of the 2021 guidelines issued by the Ministry of Education after senior counsel HS Phoolka submitted on behalf of the NGO that only five states have notified the ‘Guidelines on School Safety and Security, 2021’ so far.

Directing the chief secretaries of states and UTs to ensure compliance, the Bench disposed of the PIL. “The aim and objective behind the guidelines are to enact self-contained comprehensive legislation to provide for the protection of all children from all kinds of exploitation and abuse and guarantee their physical, social, psychological and moral well-being,” the petitioner submitted. “The safety and security of every child studying in school is the avowed purpose and intent behind the Guidelines, therefore, it is imperative that it should be implemented effectively and mandatorily within a defined timeline,” it said.