Important Interventions

Allegations of human rights violations of
armed forces by stone pelters
(Case No. 15/9/0/2018)
T
he National Human Rights Commission, NHRC has taken cognizance of a complaint requesting its intervention for an appropriate enquiry in the incident of stone pelting and assault on the army personnel by an unruly and disruptive mob in the Shopian district of Jammu & Kashmir on the 27th January, 2018. Raising the issue of the safety of soldiers and officers of the Indian Army, deployed in counter insurgency areas in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and other states, the complaint sought to draw the attention of the Commission to the innumerable and frequent instances of violation of human rights of the army personnel.
The Commission has observed that in view of the allegations leveled in the complaint, it will be appropriate to call for a factual report from the Union Ministry of Defence, through its Secretary, to know the present status of the situation and steps taken on the points raised by the complainants. Accordingly, a communication has been sent to the Union Defence Secretary.
The complaint has been filed by the three children of the officers of Indian Army. They quoted, date wise, a series of incidents wherein, allegedly, the army faced hostilities from the very people, it was deployed to protect. Not only that, FIRs registered against the stone pelters were withdrawn but registered against the army. They cited developments in J&K, post Shopian violence, as another example in this regard and alleged that it would lower down the morale of the troops.
It is pointed out in the complaint that the administration, which is being assisted by the Indian Army, has failed to safeguard the human rights of the members of the Armed Forces. They cited instances of various countries, wherein severe punishment is meted out to those involved in stone pelting on Armed Forces.

15 students get Rs. 30 lakh as relief for the
negligence of teachers
(Case No. 21/23/4/2017)
O
n the recommendations of the National Human Rights Commission, 15 students of the State run Eklavya Model Residential School, Khumulwng, Tripura were paid monetary relief of ` 2 lakh each totaling ` 30 lakh, besides the free coaching for the 2018 National Eligibility and Entrance Test, NEET, which they could not write in 2017 due to the negligence of the school authorities. This was informed by the Government of Tripura. However, the Commission, while taking this report on record on the 16th February, 2018, further asked the State government to inform about the outcome of the disciplinary proceedings, initiated against the guilty Principal and the teacher.
The Commission is of the view that it was not sufficient that the Government of Tripura had initiated disciplinary proceedings against the negligent Principal and the teacher of the school and that the students will be provided free coaching for 2018. It recommended that in addition to the free coaching, the State government needed to pay monetary relief also to the victim students for the loss of their one academic year.
Earlier, during the course of enquiry, the Commission had found that the Principal and a teacher of the school had filled the online application form of the students, belonging to the tribal communities, but failed to remit the requisite fee within the stipulated time. Hence, the students could not appear in the NEET organized by the Central Board of Secondary Education, CBSE. When the issue came to the knowledge of the Tribal Welfare Department, it approached the CBSE but it was too late for them to accept their request. Action against the negligent Principal and the Teacher had been taken and disciplinary proceedings were initiated against them. The Commission had taken cognizance of the issue on the basis of a complaint received on the 5th May, 2017.