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Reformatory-turned-observation home in Yerawada has 36 minors
The boy, 17 – allegedly involved in the recent Porsche accident in Pune that claimed two lives – has been shifted here following an order of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), an official at the facility said on Thursday
The Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Udyog Kendra – established by the British in April 1889 as a reformatory school in Yerawada – is now an observation home for juveniles in conflict with the law run by the Maharashtra state government. The observation home has 36 minors allegedly involved in both petty crimes and more serious offences. The boy, 17 – allegedly involved in the recent car accident in Pune that claimed two lives – has been shifted here following an order of the Juvenile Justice Board (JJB), an official at the facility said on Thursday.
An official on condition of anonymity said, “The minor allegedly involved in the car accident that claimed two lives has been brought to the observation home on Wednesday and will be here till June 5. He is lodged with other juveniles of the observation home in need of care and protection. The dormitory is different for minors whose trials are underway and those whose cases have been decided. Daily activities such as prayers, studies, personal training and eating are carried out together and there is no discrimination.”
Established in 1889, the reformatory in February 1990 was redesignated as the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Udyog Kendra and turned into a care home for destitute children and later in 2009, turned into an observation home for juveniles in conflict with the law.
According to officials, the 36 minors at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Udyog Kendra would have faced severe punishment similar to adults like imprisonment had they been adults at the time of their alleged crimes. However, because they were minors at the time of their alleged crimes, they were tried by the JJB which focuses on reformation rather than punishment. Usually, juveniles involved in (petty) crimes are sent to observation homes while those involved in heinous crimes are sent to special homes. The Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Udyog Kendra is both an observation home and special home rolled into one. The 36 minors here are boys who come from different parts of Maharashtra, officials said.
Children in conflict with the law who need care and protection are sent to observation homes that serve as temporary residential facilities for these minors while their cases are pending. The main goal of observation homes is to evaluate the juveniles’ needs and behaviours and offer them a secure and encouraging environment for recovery and reintegration. The homes focus on the minors’ growth as responsible children who are mentally alert, physically fit and morally healthy so that they can contribute to the betterment of society.
Dattatray Kute, superintendent, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Udyog Kendra, said that this observation home focuses on the overall growth of minors who are provided care and protection and a healthy environment to grow as civilised citizens. “The minors are provided medical care, education, counselling and training courses to make them skilled and in some cases, earn a respectable livelihood when they step out of the home. There are strict deadlines and discipline for bedtime, eating, sports and education,” Kute said.
According to officials, the daily routine at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Udyog Kendra involves pranayama, prayer, personal training, sports activity, meals, counselling, health checks, education and training for mechanical courses. Children pursuing their education can attend classes till Class 12 with three teachers available at the centre. There are 12 computers at the observation home and minors learn computers. In case of minors who have quit their education in-between, they can attend training for mechanical courses such as two-wheeler repairs etc.
Furthermore, the observation home has one in-house MBBS doctor and two nurses who conduct medical examinations and provide treatment to the children. In case of a medical emergency, minors are taken to a nearby government healthcare facility. There are three probation officers and three counsellors at the observation home. In case of minors with special needs, the counsellors are called from outside. For security purposes, there are 13 guards inside and 10 guards outside the observation home. The security staff is deployed round-the-clock in three shifts.
Kute informed that every minor is observed based on which education, training and counselling is provided. All other daily activities remain the same. “Following the JJB’s orders in the recent accident, a meeting was held with the staff and the protocols were revived that have to be strictly followed by the staff. We also organise talks for children who have achieved a respectable professional position or succeeded in sports or other fields who were once housed at the observation home. This is done to motivate the children and inform them that this is not an end and that they can start afresh and succeed in future,” he said.
