Rajasthan govt restricts entry of outsiders in govt schools after CJP says it will conduct inspection

The Rajasthan government has restricted the entry of outsiders in government schools without prior permission of the principal and barred photography and videography without written approval. This move came after the CJP announced it would inspect schools in the state that are in a "poor" condition.

The government order issued on Sunday evening also comes in the backdrop of protests in some government schools across the state over alleged lack of amenities and shortage of teachers. Videos and reports of such demonstrations have been circulated in the media and on social media in recent weeks.

In a social media post, Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) co-convener Ashutosh Ranka had on Sunday morning said the party will be visiting schools in Rajasthan which are in a poor condition.

"So far, I have received requests from Jaipur, Ajmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Dholpur, Bharatpur, Kota, Barmer, and Hanumangarh in Rajasthan to inspect schools in poor condition. In these places, the administration is refusing to heed demands to fix the schools. I will be visiting all these locations over the next few days," he had said.

Hours after the CJP post, the Director of Secondary Education Lalit Kumar issued a circular that stated that under the principle of "in loco parentis" (in the place of a parent), it has a special responsibility to ensure the safety, dignity, privacy and welfare of children studying in government schools.

Citing Article 21 of the Constitution, a Supreme Court judgment on the right to privacy and guidelines of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), the department said the measures were aimed at ensuring a safe, protected and child-friendly environment in schools and safeguarding children against exploitation and invasion of privacy.

Under the directions, no outsider, except a government official duly authorised for official duties, will be allowed to enter a school campus without prior permission of the principal or head of the institution.

Every visitor will also have to make an entry in the visitor register before entering the premises.

The circular issued on Sunday further says no outsider can enter classrooms, laboratories, libraries, hostels, playgrounds, toilets or areas where student activities are taking place without being accompanied by the principal, a teacher or an authorised school official.

Photography, videography, interviews, audio recording or live streaming of students, teachers or school activities will not be permitted without prior written approval of the principal and will be allowed only for lawful purposes.

School authorities have also been directed to ensure that no photograph, video or personal information of a student is collected, published or disseminated without the consent of the parent or guardian if it could affect the child's privacy, dignity or safety.

The principal has been empowered to deny entry to any visitor whose presence could potentially affect security, privacy, discipline or the educational environment.

In case a person enters without permission, refuses to leave the premises, attempts unauthorised photography or videography or disrupts school functioning, the principal can immediately inform local police and the district education officer for action under laws.

The circular empowers principals or heads of institutions to direct an outsider to leave the school premises and, depending on the facts and circumstances, seek police assistance and initiate action under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, the Information Technology Act, 2000 and other
applicable laws.

The directions have come under attack from the Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly Tika Ram Jully, who alleged that the BJP government was trying to hide shortcomings in government schools from public view rather than addressing them.

Criticising the order, Jully said the Congress would launch a "civil disobedience movement" against the directions if the government did not withdraw them at the earliest.

"The BJP government has found an excellent solution to broken roofs, leaking classrooms and an acute shortage of teachers. Instead of removing these shortcomings, it has issued orders to hide them from the eyes of the world," Jully said in a social media post.

He alleged that the directions would prevent irregularities in schools from coming out and demanded their immediate withdrawal.

"Now no one will be able to enter without permission so that the reality does not come out," the Congress leader said.