Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The education departments of all states and Union Territories (UTs) received a directive from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Thursday, requesting that they stop any instances of corporal punishment and discrimination against schoolchildren during the approaching holidays, such as Raksha Bandhan (August 19). NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo stressed the value of defending children’s rights and attending to their concerns in a letter written to principal secretaries of school education departments around the nation.
The order follows accounts of pupils being harassed for flaunting their religious and cultural customs during holidays, such as donning rakhis. The NCPCR chief voiced worry in a letter dated August 8 over claims that teachers and other school personnel mistreat and discriminate against children during festivals. The letter asked the authorities to make sure that such physical or mental abuse is forbidden and cited a few instances, citing news reports, where children have been prohibited from wearing rakhis, tilaks, or mehendi in schools during Raksha Bandhan.
“With festivals approaching, it is crucial to direct the concerned authorities to ensure that schools do not engage in practices that could subject children to corporal punishment or discrimination,” Kanoongo said in the letter.
Additionally, according to Kanoongo, these activities are against Section 17 of the 2009 Right to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act. Additionally, by August 17, compliance reports and copies of the pertinent orders need to be submitted to the Commission, under the NCPCR’s directive. The Commission is a statutory body that holds notable authority over juvenile justice (under the Care and Protection of Children Act, 2015), the right to education (under the RTE Act, 2009), and the protection of children from sexual offenses (under the POCSO Act).
