The West Bengal government on Friday said it plans to set up an authority to deal with the issue of corporal punishment to students following an outcry over the alleged caning of a city school student that led him to commit suicide.
Speaking on the controversy surrounding the suicide by
Class VIII student Rouvanjit Rawla of the La Martiniere for Boys School in February, state school education minister Partha De said that there should be an appropriate body under the Right to Education Act to deal with such cases.
The minister, however, did not specify any time frame for setting up the body, saying "we plan to set up the authority soon".
Describing the episode as very "unfortunate", De said, "There cannot be a minority right on punishing children. There should be a general rule for all education institutions."
The school is under the management of the Church of North India.
He said that the school education department has informed all education boards that corporal punishment to students is an offence.
"Such incidents create fear psychosis among children and the problem should be addressed properly," he said.
Rawla had allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself at his home after being caned by the school principal on February 12 for indiscipline, according to a complaint lodged by the father of the child.