New Delhi, July 20: The Delhi government has issued a show-cause notice to the management of a private school located in Janakpuri for serious safety violations, operating illegal branches, and significant financial irregularities.
An official stated that Education Minister Ashish Sood has directed the Directorate of Education to take the strictest possible action against the trust managing the school and its leadership.
The school has been given seven days to submit a response. If no response is received, immediate action will be initiated.
Ashish Sood emphasized that the Delhi government will not tolerate any compromise on the safety and dignity of children. He stated, “A school acts in loco parentis (in the role of a parent). It has a legal and moral responsibility for every child present on its premises. If any institution conceals serious crimes like child abuse, operates illegal branches in the basements of residential buildings, and misuses public funds, we will not remain silent.”
He also mentioned that the government is prepared to take full control of the school’s management and recommend the cancellation of its land lease.
An official investigation conducted in multiple phases by special committees of the Directorate of Education revealed serious negligence in administrative, financial, and ethical responsibilities within the school.
The statement indicated that there were attempts to conceal incidents of sexual harassment. It was reported that on April 30, a nursery student in the school’s pre-primary wing was allegedly sexually assaulted.
The investigation found that the school management failed to report this serious incident to the Directorate of Education, which is a violation of mandatory child protection laws.
Additionally, flaws in security arrangements were identified. When police arrived to investigate the pre-primary branch, all 64 CCTV cameras installed there were found to be non-functional. The statement noted that the school deliberately did not maintain any contract for the upkeep of the cameras.
According to the investigation report, the school was illegally conducting nursery and kindergarten classes from a private residential building in Narang Colony without permission. Furthermore, the basement of this illegal building was being used as an unsupervised activity area for young children.
The statement also highlighted that the school lacked a child protection policy, a child protection committee, and a POCSO-trained nodal officer. Additionally, mandatory police verification of security personnel was not conducted.
Deependra Singh Chundawat is a Senior Sub-Editor at Udaipur Kiran, specializing in a wide range of technology topics including mobile phones, applications, gaming, PCs, and wearables. Along with covering the latest tech news, he also creates engaging web stories. Passionate about emerging technologies, he stays up to date with the newest trends and enjoys reading and writing about the latest mobile launches and digital innovations.
