Delhi Orders Police Verification of School Staff After Safety Drive Flags Lapses
Delhi CM Rekha Gupta has ordered police verification of school staff and transport workers after a July safety drive found deficiencies in nearly 46% of inspected schools.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta has directed the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) to ensure police verification of school staff, including bus and van drivers, attendants and sanitation workers.
The instruction follows a school-safety drive in July that inspected 1,677 schools and found deficiencies in 774 of them — close to 46 per cent. The checks, carried out using a Student Safety Checklist drawn from National Commission for Protection of Child Rights guidelines, the DCPCR framework and the POCSO Act, revealed gaps in child-safety measures. Some schools had not constituted the required child-welfare committees, and parent representatives were absent from certain committees.
Campaign Against Child Begging
Gupta has also called for Delhi to be made free of child begging. The DCPCR has been asked to bring in NGOs, civil society organisations and resident welfare associations to support the effort. Children found begging are to be linked with education, skill development and livelihood opportunities.
Records for Children Leaving Care Homes
The Chief Minister has sought detailed records of children in after-care facilities, covering their age, institution, duration of stay, education, qualifications and skills. A Comptroller and Auditor General audit of Delhi's child-care institutions had earlier highlighted shortcomings in education and vocational training. Of the 542 children examined, 18 had received no education and 219 only non-formal education, while just 11 had received vocational training.
Gupta has asked that children leaving care homes be connected with further education, skill training and employment. She also suggested livelihood support through the Transport Department, including autos for interested girls and e-rickshaws for boys.
POCSO Awareness and Nutrition Checks
The DCPCR has been directed to continue awareness programmes under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. The Chief Minister also called for inspections of midday meals in schools and nutritional food at anganwadi centres during National Nutrition Month, with shortcomings to be reported immediately.
Interns may review facilities at anganwadi and Palna centres as well as the behaviour of anganwadi workers. Career guidance for students in government and municipal schools was also discussed.