'Shameful': Oppn Lambasts BJP-Led Haryana Govt Over Jind School Sexual Harassment Case
Haryana's education minister Kanwar Pal was responding to a call to action on the alleged sexual harassment of many female students at the school.
The opposition in Haryana lambasted the BJP-led administration on Tuesday for alleged sexual harassment of female pupils at a government school in Jind district, and demanded that proper steps be taken to prevent such instances in the future, news agency PTI reported. Kanwar Pal, the state's education minister, stated that the state government is dedicated to protecting the safety and security of female students in schools. He went on to say that the accused Jind school principal was fired on December 11 and that 17 staff members were transferred to other schools.
Pal was responding to a call to action on the alleged sexual harassment of many female students at the school.
In his response, the minister also informed the House that 26,303 teaching positions are empty in the state's government schools, and that the administration is committed to filling the positions as quickly as feasible.
The principal was detained last month after being charged with a variety of offences, including sections 354A (sexual harassment), 341 (wrongful restraint), and 342 (wrongful detention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), as well as the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
Engaging in the discussion on the final day of the Haryana Assembly's winter session, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA Abhay Chautala stated that the incident at the Jind school is a "very serious matter" and suggested that all cases of sexual harassment be tried in expedited courts with the harshest punishment meted out to those found guilty.
CM Khattar stated that six fast-track courts, including those in Faridabad, Gurugram, and Nuh, have been formed to handle rape cases, while 18 similar courts have been established to handle cases filed under the POCSO Act.
Pal stated that in the academic year 2021-22, over 1.25 lakh girl students from Classes 6 to 12 were taught in self-defense under the "Rani Laxmibai Atmaraksha Prashikshan Programme."
Approximately one lakh girl students from Classes 6 to 12 were taught self-defense in 2022-23, with an additional 87,000 trained in 2023-24, he said, adding that the project aimed to empower girls.
To promote a safe environment, the government and the Haryana Women and Child Development department are working together on a teacher-sensitization programme that will include training on the POCSO and Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Acts for principals and headmasters throughout December and January, according to Pal.
Referring to the accused principal, Independent MLA Balraj Kundu stated that a person who was expected to safeguard pupils committed such a "shameful" crime, adding that such persons should face harsh punishment.
Many government schools, according to Congress MLAs, lack basic facilities such as separate bathrooms and drinking water facilities for girls.
According to Congress MLA Kiran Choudhary, criminality against women has increased in the state.
"There are many schools where separate toilets for girls are not there," she was quoted by PTI in its report.
Varun Chaudhary, another Congress MLA, suggested that women officials be sent to government schools to listen to the grievances of female pupils.
Pal stated that the subject of suspected sexual harassment by the principal at the Jind school has been brought to the attention of the government, and that "concrete steps" have been done.
"After the matter came to the government's notice, the delinquent principal was suspended on October 27. When the allegations of sexual harassment were prima facie proved, he was dismissed from service with effect from December 11," he said.
He further stated that after reviewing the preliminary investigation results and given the seriousness of the situation, 17 school staff members were relocated to different schools.
The minister stated that the government is dedicated to guaranteeing the safety and security of all school-age children, particularly females.
He stated that the government is implementing training and self-defense programmes, particularly for female students in government schools, to educate and empower them about sexual assault prevention.
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