Bill for safety of CBSE, ICSE students introduced in Assembly

Bengaluru: A bill to enable the state to take appropriate action to ensure the safety and security of students and employees, including protection from sexual offences, in CBSE and ICSE schools was introduced in the Karnataka Assembly on Monday. 

The cabinet had earlier decided to amend the Karnataka Education Act, 1983, in accordance with the Children's Safety Policy, 2016, in this regard.

Primary and Secondary Education Minister Tanveer Sait said the Karnataka Education (Second Amendment) Bill will ensure the safety and security of students in CBSE and ICSE schools. 

This comes in the backdrop of increasing cases of alleged sexual assault on children and the recent death of three schoolkids in Tumakuru district allegedly due to food poisoning. 

The bill provides for punishment with imprisonment for a minimum term of six months and with a fine which may extend to Rs one lakh for failing to provide safety and security to students, including protection from sexual offences. 

It also enables the regulatory authority to recommend to the competent authority or the authority concerned for withdrawal of recognition or affiliation to those institutes which fail to provide security to the students and employees. 

The bill also proposes to impose a penalty which may extend to Rs 10 lakh and also, refund of fee or any other payments including donations, collected by the institutes in excess of the amount prescribed. 

The minister also tabled the Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Teachers) Act, 2017, to fix maximum teacher transfers at 15 per cent of the total number of teachers and post a teaching couple at one place.