ITANAGAR, 12 Jan: The Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) has proposed an anti-ragging and bullying legislation, to be known as the ‘Hero Act’, to prevent bullying, ragging, and institutional neglect in schools, particularly residential and boarding institutions.
Members of the APSCPCR, led by its Chairperson Ratan Anya, on Monday submitted a special report to Education Minister PD Sona, pertaining to the unnatural death of a minor student at the Sainik School in Niglok in East Siang district.
Tadu Haro, a 12-year-old student of Sainik School in Niglok, East Siang, died on November 1 last year, allegedly driven to death by bullying from fellow students.
The APSCPCR stated in a press release that the decision to submit the special report “reflects the gravity and urgency of the findings, and the pressing need for immediate preventive, administrative, and policy-level measures to ensure the safety, dignity, and wellbeing of children residing in boarding and residential educational institutions across the state.”
The report is the outcome of an independent statutory inquiry conducted by the commission, examining the circumstances surrounding the incident, with particular focus on child rights violations, institutional lapses, and systemic deficiencies affecting child safety in residential schools.
“Given the sensitive nature of the case and the involvement of minors, the report has been submitted in strict confidence, in compliance with the confidentiality provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and other applicable laws,” the commission said.
The report contains evidence-based findings from the statutory inquiry, identification of institutional and systemic gaps in child protection, and examination of existing safeguards and their enforcement.
Sona on his part assured the commission of the state government’s commitment to enact the proposed legislation at the earliest in the Legislative Assembly.
Additionally, the commission has recommended that 1 November be designated as ‘Hero Day’, “to be observed as an anti-ragging and child safety awareness day,” with the objective of promoting awareness, sensitisation, and collective responsibility against bullying, ragging, and all forms of violence against children.
