CM Rekha Gupta
| Photo Credit: ANI
The Delhi government on Monday asked all 5,633 schools in the Capital to set up child protection committees by July 31. Lieutenant-Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu who, along with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, reviewed safety measures for schoolchildren as part of the month-long ‘Child Protection Month’ initiative, also directed that a standard operating procedure to handle Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases be implemented in every school. Additionally, he asked Education Department officials to seek compliance certificates from schools regarding the safety checklist for students issued by the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR).Mr. Sandhu warned of strict action against schools that do not adhere to the directions in time.“A report will be sought from the Education Department by the end of the month regarding the progress of the formation of the committees and the safety checklist compliance as per the DCPCR. If non-compliance is found by any school, action will be taken as per provisions of the POCSO Act,” said a Lok Niwas official. “There is no room for complacency in ensuring a safe and sensitive environment for every child,” the L-G said, stressing that all departments must complete the assigned tasks within the stipulated timelines.The CM said child protection programmes should become a permanent feature of every institution. “The Delhi government will ensure timely implementation of every direction through close coordination among all departments. Our objective is to build a strong child protection system so that every child in the Capital grows up in a safe, dignified and secure environment,” she added.Child protection committees are headed by the principal with representatives from teachers, parents, counsellors and students, to review complaints and safety measures.Inspection teamsOfficials told Mr. Sandhu and the CM that joint inspection teams, comprising parents, officials from the Education and the Women and Child Development departments, Delhi Police and school heads, are being constituted to strengthen monitoring.Moreover, awareness campaigns for students and parents will be conducted through parent-teacher meetings, audiovisual materials, and printed information.Police officers said they are conducting awareness programmes on the POCSO Act, cyber safety and drug abuse and that an Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police has been appointed in every district as the nodal officer for child safety cases. . Published - July 07, 2026 12:52 am IST
