State govts and UTs obliged to ensure children attend school: SC
India Today
Supreme Court said on Monday that state governments and union territories have an obligation to ensure that children attend school.
Concerned for students who were forced to drop out of school due to their parents suffering from Covid-19 induced job or livelihood loss, Supreme Court remarked on Monday that all states and union territories are obliged to ensure that children attend schools. NCPCR was further directed by a bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and B R Gavai to establish a platform where all states and UTs' actions, in this case, would be uploaded.
The top court asked the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to file an affidavit after examining a report from the states and UTs within eight weeks.
The Supreme Court also issued directions to states for appointing a district-wise nodal officer from either the Education Department or the Women and Child Department.
The court further directed that these nodal officers would instruct Anganwadi workers to personally inform the parents of dropout students about steps taken by NCPCR and get them enrolled.
Authorities were further directed by the SC, to provide wide publicity to the orders and measures passed by it.
Previously, all the state governments and UTs were directed by the apex court to implement SOPs for the care and protection of children in street situations that were prepared by the NCPCR.
It had also previously directed states and UTs to link children orphaned because of the Covid-19 pandemic and their family members to various welfare schemes.
