New Delhi, July 06: Concerned over reports of corporal punishment to school children, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the education secretary in the Delhi government as well as director of primary education in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi to appear before it on July 30 to discuss the issue. Taking serious note of a complaint of corporal punishment meted out to a 12-year student by a teacher, the commission has said in a recent order that it would be "appropriate" to have a discussion with the senior officials of the education department on the corporal punishment to children and the rules framed under the Delhi Education Act 1973.
The commission had received a complaint alleging that Aarti Saroj, a student of Class VI in government co-educational senior secondary school, Mukherjee Nagar, here was beaten by her class teacher and had received grievous injuries.

The commission took cognizance of the complaint and forwarded it to the education secretary for appropriate action. A report from the education secretary denied the allegations.
On consideration of the reports received from the Education Secretary, Additional DCP as well as the comments of the complainant on the report and the complaint of the father of the victim, the commission was prima facie satisfied that the student was administered corporal punishment by her teacher in the school on September 21, 1996.
Bureau Report