‘Don’t dole out punishments for sporting rakhis and tilaks during festivals’: NCPCR in advisory to schools

Child rights body NCPCR on Wednesday asked schools not to dole out punishments to students who sport a tilak or wear a rakhi in school during the festival of Raksha Bandhan or any other festival. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights recommended to schools not to adopt a discriminatory approach towards students if they were found sporting mehendi, tilaks or any other symbols during festivals. In a sternly-worded letter issued to Principal Secretaries of the School Education Department of all states and UTs, the Commission said that over the years, it has been seen through various media reports that children are subject to harassment and discrimination by school teachers and other administrative staff on account of celebration of festivals. The NCPCR also reminded the state education departments that corporal punishment was banned in schools and other educational institutions by law and attracted strict punishment if the ban was flouted. “It has been noticed that schools do not allow children to wear rakhi or tilak or mehendi in schools during the festival of Raksha Bandhan and subject them to harassment, both physical and mental. It may be noted that corporal punishment is prohibited in schools under Section 17 of the RTE Act, 2009,” the NCPCR said. The Commission also requested the authorities to issue necessary directions to the concerned departments and ensure that schools do not observe any such practice that may expose children to corporal punishment or discrimination simply for being part of festivals, said the apex child rights body.