57 cases of punishment, mental harassment of kids in 13 yrs: Govt

Cuttack: State govt on Wednesday informed the Orissa high court that 57 cases of physical punishment and mental harassment of Children in schools were reported from across the state from 2010 to 2023. In an affidavit, director of elementary education Jyoti Ranjan Mishra said 57 cases were reported from 16 districts, while no case was reported from rest of the districts. He added the highest 11 cases were reported from Sundargarh, while Jajpur and Balangir followed with six cases each and Mayurbhanj with five cases.The court was hearing a PIL regarding the death of a Class IV student of a govt school in Jajpur after being allegedly forced to do sit-ups as a form of punishment nearly 10 months back. Advocate Prabir Kumar Das, a Bhubaneswar-based human rights activist filed the PIL seeking the Court’s direction for enforcing Section 17 (1) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 in the schools of the State citing Rudra’s death. Section 17 (1) of the Act mandates that no child shall be subjected to physical punishment or mental harassment. In the affidavit, Mishra stated that as part of the implementation of the Act “school premises have been declared as punishment free zone and necessary wall painting has been ensured in all government schools of the state.”

Watch: Students smash windows, damage property in Bhopal girls school over harsh punishments

Students from a Bhopal government school launched a protest against harsh punishments by damaging school property. Viral videos showed students breaking furniture and electronics. Complaints included disproportionate punishment for tardiness and poor washroom conditions. The principal, a former armed forces captain, was removed following the uproar.

Tollywood women press state govt to release 2-year-old report on harassment in industry

Women actors in Tollywood, spearheaded by Samantha Ruth Prabhu, have requested the Telangana government to disclose a 2022 report on workplace sexual harassment within the Telugu film industry. Despite being submitted by a sub-committee in July 2022, the findings remain unpublished. Industry figures hope its release will foster better policies for women.

Computer literacy missing from state-run schools

Computer science literacy in Uttarakhand's state-run schools is alarmingly low despite advancements in connectivity and smart classes. There are no dedicated computer teachers, with other teachers receiving minimal training. NGO efforts to bridge this gap are limited, and the state education department lacks immediate plans to make computer science a core subject.