Chandigarh: The Haryana Government has constituted a five-member inquiry committee following an incident involving a young child with special needs at a school in Panchkula. The government will bear the child’s entire treatment cost and conduct a comprehensive safety audit of schools across the state.
Education Minister Mahipal Dhanda said negligence affecting children’s safety and welfare would not be tolerated. Expressing concern for the child’s recovery, he said the government stood firmly with the family.
The committee will examine CCTV footage to establish the sequence of events, verify the on-duty presence of teachers, assistants and special educators, and fix accountability. It will also investigate lapses in safety and supervision, any delay in providing first aid or taking the child to hospital, and compliance with the Ministry of Education’s School Safety and Security Guidelines, 2021, and the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
On the Minister’s directions, the Education Department will audit safety arrangements in schools across Haryana, including Panchkula. The review will focus on supervision of young children and students with special needs, functioning CCTV systems and emergency response mechanisms.
