On September 24, 2024, another step forward for child protection was achieved after a ruling was handed down by the Supreme Court on school safety. Following a petition made by Access to Justice partner, Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), the Supreme Court ruled that states and UTs must ensure that the Ministry of Education's Guidelines on School Safety and Security are implemented.
To date, only five states have worked to implement these guidelines.
The School Safety and Security Guidelines intend to protect children from exploitation and abuse, and guarantee their physical, social, psychological and moral well-being, while they are enrolled in school. Measures within the guidelines include ensuring that no staff member, in any role, can be hired to work in a school without police verification.
The petition called for the guidelines to be implemented and mandated, within a specified time frame. In addition, it called for these guidelines to be implemented alongside other school safety guidelines, including the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) Comprehensive Manual on Safety and Security of Children in School and Guidelines for Hostels of Educational Institutions, as well as the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Guidelines on School Safety Policy.
The Supreme Court ruling is a major step to compel state governments to provide a vital element of statutory child protection.