State calls for strict enforcement of banning mobile phones in schools

NAGPUR: The state government on Wednesday said that it has strictly prohibited the use of mobile phones in schools

NAGPUR: The state government on Wednesday said that it has strictly prohibited the use of mobile phones in schools.

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Responding to a calling attention motion on a rape incident of a 13-year-old student in Matunga, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, the state government directed the education department to instruct all schools in the state to hold joint meetings of parents, teachers and representatives of local police stations every month to monitor the “such behaviour problem” of students.

Fadnavis said they will also be directed to initiate a special drive for the school girls for counselling to make them aware of the precautions to be taken from abuse.

“We have prohibited usage of mobile phones in school and its premises. Such instruction has already been communicated to all school administration,” Fadnavis asserted.

Members from the ruling and opposition alleged that such incidents are growing because of excess use of mobile phones, setting up of cafeterias near schools and video games. These have a great impact on teen-aged school children and be barred from these things, they demanded.

On November 28, two boys allegedly raped their 13-year-old classmate inside the classroom of a civic-run school in Matunga. The police registered a case against the accused boys under the relevant Indian Penal Code and other laws.

BJP member Uma Khapre said that these teenagers are accessing obscene videos on the internet through their mobile phones. As a result, they are getting attracted to violence and revenge. Supporting her statement, Khapre cited the opinion of psychiatrists and claimed that mobile jammers should be installed on the school premises. Underlining the importance of the safety of school-going girls, she also opined that the government should constitute a Task Force to protect the girl students.

Senior BJP member Pravin Darekar said that the number of paan and cigarette shops is growing near the school premises where anti-socials used to lure girls by offering chocolates. He also stated that meetings of the parents committee, school administration and police should be conducted every month to draw proper action plans.

Answering a question, Fadnavis said that the state government initiated several measures to prevent and detect such cyber-related incidents across the state by setting up a cyber-laboratory with required facilities in every police station and setting up an intelligence unit of cyber-crime department in every police station to curb such instances.

Besides, the government appointed “police didi” for the counselling of teen-aged students and CCTV be installed in every school in the state soon.