Kolkata: The West Bengal government
today said it plans to set up an authority to deal with the
issue of corporal punishment to students following an outcry
over the alleged caning of a city school student that led him
to commit suicide.
Speaking on the controversy surrounding the suicide by
Class VIII student Rouvanjit Rawla of the La Martiniere for
Boys School in February, state school education minister
Partha De said that there should be an appropriate body under
the Right to Education Act to deal with such cases.
The minister, however, did not specify any time frame for
setting up the body, saying "we plan to set up the authority
soon".
Describing the episode as very "unfortunate", De said,
"There cannot be a minority right on punishing children.
There should be a general rule for all education
institutions."
The school is under the management of the Church of
North India.
He said that the school education department has
informed all education boards that corporal punishment to
students is an offence.
"Such incidents create fear psychosis among children
and the problem should be addressed properly," he said.
Rawla had allegedly committed suicide by hanging
himself at his home after being caned by the school principal
on February 12 for indiscipline, according to a complaint
lodged by the father of the child.
-PTI
