Girls forced into squat punishment in Hisar, panel seeks report

Hisar: Taking serious note of alleged corporal punishment of girl students in a govt school, the Haryana Human Rights Commission has initiated suo motu proceedings and sought detailed reports from district authorities in Hisar. The action follows a media report highlighting an incident at a govt school in Jagan village of Hisar district, where girl students were allegedly forced to perform "squat punishment" and paraded around the campus, sparking outrage. A full bench of the commission, headed by Justice Lalit Batra along with members Kuldip Jain and Deep Bhatia, termed the alleged incident a "serious violation" of the dignity, safety and psychological well-being of students. The commission said that any form of physical punishment or public humiliation in the name of discipline is unacceptable and violates children's fundamental rights.According to officials, three videos of the incident surfaced and were emailed to the district education officer, prompting the formation of an inquiry committee. The commission observed that such acts undermine the spirit of national campaigns like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and erode trust in the education system.The rights body noted that the allegations, if substantiated, may attract provisions under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, which bans corporal punishment, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which penalises cruelty to children, and Article 21 of the Constitution, guaranteeing the right to dignity. It also cited international obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The commission has directed the deputy commissioner to detail supervisory lapses and preventive measures, the district education officer to fix accountability and suggest reforms, the superintendent of police to report on any FIR and investigation status, and the school headmaster to explain the incident and action taken. All authorities have been asked to submit reports ahead of the next hearing on May 12.Emphasising reform, the commission said schools must adopt child-centric, non-violent disciplinary methods based on empathy and guidance rather than punishment. Assistant registrar Dr Puneet Arora said the directions aim to ensure a thorough and time-bound inquiry into the incident. MSID:: 129680332 413 |