Maharashtra makes it mandatory for schools to install CCTV cameras

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Saturday made it mandatory for all schools to install CCTV cameras and directed principals to review the footage three times a week. The directive came more than a month after two four-year-old girls were allegedly sexually assaulted in the washroom of a school in Badlapur, triggering widespread protests in the state.
The state government issued a new government resolution (GR) regarding student safety on school premises on Friday, based on the suggestions of a committee it appointed following the incident. The government has issued several guidelines regarding student safety in schools in the past month.
As per the new GR, all private schools will now be required to install sufficient CCTV cameras at strategic locations. Government and local body schools that have not yet installed cameras have been instructed to prioritise their installation. For government schools, the GR stated that 5% of the District Planning Committee’s (DPC) funds will be reserved for this purpose. Failure to install CCTV cameras will result in strict consequences, the government warned, including the potential derecognition of the school.
Schools have been directed to rigorously verify the background of all non-teaching staff, including those hired through external sources or on a contractual basis. The GR also suggested appointing female staff to handle students from pre-primary to class 6. It added that Sakhi Savitri Committees, responsible for ensuring the safety and security of school children, will continue their work.
The GR also suggested appointing school-level committees for students’ safety, comprising parents, teachers, and the school management. This committee must meet monthly to review the safety status of the school’s students. The government has also appointed a state-level committee for student safety under the chairmanship of the school education commissioner.