Not satisfied with KVS and HRD Ministry response, NHRC seeks train reservation documents of students and teachers (07.11.2014)

PRESS RELEASE

New Delhi, 7th November, 2014

The National Human Rights Commission has expressed its displeasure to know that Principals of some Central Schools contacted parents to identify as to who made a complaint in the Commission about the children traveling like cattle in unreserved Railway compartments for a sports meet in Ahmedabad. Scared of punitive action against his ward, the complainant has requested the Commission to close the case. He has also expressed his gratitude to the Commission for its prompt action due to which his ward got a reserved ticket to come back home.

However, the NHRC Member, Mr. Justice D. Murugesan, has made it categorically clear that the Commission would view it very seriously if any punitive action is taken against any student or escorting teacher in the matter. He has asked the Secretary, Department of School Education & Literacy, Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan to cause an enquiry in the matter and submit an action taken report within six weeks.

The Commission has also expressed its shock that in the reports, received from the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, no information had been given about the alleged death of one of the escorting teachers and a student. It has observed that KVS authorities, including its Regional Commissioners, their subordinate staff & officers needed to be sensitized about human rights.

In the reports, submitted in response to the Commission's notices, the authorities have said that travel arrangements for more than 4734 participants and escorting teachers were made and almost all of them traveled on confirmed tickets safely and comfortably. However, there was some contradiction in the reports of the KVS and the HRD Ministry on the number of travelers not having confirmed tickets.

The Commission has also asked the concerned authorities to inform it on ten actionable points, including the copies of the relevant documents about the railway tickets, arrangement for food and Inquest Report, Magisterial Enquiry Report, Post-Mortem Report and report of Medical Board in case of the death of a student and an escorting teacher.

The Commission had issued notices to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Human Resource Development and Commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, returnable in a week, in a complaint in the matter on the 15th October, 2014.
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