Following the incident in Mandya district, Karnataka, where two students were injured in a minor country bomb blast, the Karnataka Child Rights Observatory (KCRO) has written to Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, raising serious concerns about child safety in schools.
The incident took place on February 23 at Anjaneya Hill in Kambadahalli, Nagamangala taluk, when students from a Jain mutt school were taken to clear a heap of waste on a concrete road, stated a report by The New Indian Express.
The association has called for a detailed investigation by the Karnataka State Child Rights Protection Commission, the District Child Protection Committee and the District Child Welfare Committee to find out how the incident happened and who is responsible.
The organisation has also demanded immediate financial support for the injured children’s treatment and arrangements to ensure they can write their exams without difficulty.
The incident, KCRO argued, highlighted major failures in ensuring children’s safety, with the association questioning why students were sent to a remote and risky location without proper precautions.
The organisation pointed out that it is the responsibility of local authorities to ensure such areas are free from danger. Yet, students were led to an inaccessible hilly region, known to have wild animals, for cleaning.
KCRO asked why the school chose such a place, whether proper permissions were obtained, and if the area was checked for safety before sending the children there. It also questioned whether parents were informed and their consent was taken.
Another major concern raised is why Class X students were given such tasks when they should be preparing for their exams.
The letter also questioned what kind of support was being provided to the injured students, who is paying for their medical treatment, and what will happen if their injuries prevent them from writing exams. The organisation reminded the government that in 2016, Karnataka introduced child protection rules requiring every school to have a child protection policy. However, enforcement remains weak, and many schools lack proper measures to keep children safe.
To prevent such incidents in future, KCRO stressed the need for all schools to have clear child protection policies and establish Child Protection Committees (CPCs) to oversee safety measures, according to the report by The New Indian Express.
At the government level, KCRO has demanded that all schools, hospitals, hostels and child care centres follow strict child protection regulations, with enough resources to enforce them.
