Ninety-two students have died in schools and colleges run by the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS) in the last five years. Of them, 29 died by suicide, according to the interim report for 2023-24 submitted by the Scheduled Castes and Tribes Welfare Committee of the State Legislature, stated a report in The New Indian Express.
The report tabled in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, December 6, stated that students died under mysterious circumstances while returning home.
Stressing the need for detailed investigations into such deaths, the committee recommended that the government seek information from parents about whether the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement had conducted any investigation. If no investigation was conducted, the government should initiate action as per law, it stated.
The committee also recommended that the government conduct special counselling sessions for students, parents and teachers to prevent such suicide cases.
The committee favoured setting up a system to ensure proper utilisation and evaluation of funds meant for the development of SCs and STs. A sum of Rs 2.5 lakh crore has been spent on 1.8 crore SCs and STs under the Karnataka Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan and Tribal Sub-Plan (Planning, Allocation and Utilisation of Financial Resources) Act since 2013. The Act mandates spending 24.5% of the State's budget on SCs and STs.
Stressing the need to know whether the benefits reached these communities, the committee stated that the government should evolve a mechanism for the purpose.
