The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) from the Haryana Government over allegations of human rights violations arising from the lack of basic amenities in government schools. The commission has directed the Principal Secretary, Education Department, to submit the report within four weeks.
The action follows a complaint filed by the All India Students Union (AISU), which sought directions to the state over the absence of basic facilities in government schools.
Manish Kumar Chaudhary, National General Secretary, Legal Cell and Haryana State President of AISU, said the complaint sought the commission’s urgent intervention against the continuing violation of school children’s rights. He alleged that several government schools lacked functional toilets, causing daily hardship, indignity and embarrassment, particularly for girl students. The complaint also highlighted inadequate drinking water facilities despite the allocation of public funds and cited instances of irrational expenditure, including the installation of water purifiers without ensuring water supply.
According to the complaint, the absence of separate and functional toilets for girls is a serious violation of dignity, privacy and gender equality, leading to absenteeism and dropouts. It further stated that the denial of basic sanitation and drinking water infringes upon children’s right to live with dignity.
Chaudhary asserted that the state is under a statutory obligation to provide minimum infrastructure in schools. He alleged that the lack of toilets for girls amounts to gender discrimination, while the misuse of public funds without ensuring functionality reflects administrative arbitrariness.
The complaint urged the commission to take cognisance of the matter, seek detailed reports from the authorities and direct state-wide inspections of government schools. It also sought directions for the immediate provision of separate functional toilets for girls and boys, safe drinking water and secure school infrastructure, besides fixing responsibility and initiating action against erring officials. The complainant further requested the commission to recommend policy-level corrective measures to ensure compliance across states.
AISU also urged the commission to order immediate inspections of the affected schools and ensure the prompt provision of basic facilities.
In its order, the commission observed: “The complaint alleges violations of human rights of school children in Haryana due to lack of basic amenities in government schools. These include non-functional or absent toilets (particularly affecting girl students), lack of safe drinking water, and irrational use of public funds such as installation of water purifiers without ensuring water supply. The situation reflects systemic negligence, violates the provisions of the Right to Education Act, 2009, and infringes upon the fundamental rights to dignity, health and equality of school children.”
The commission has sought the ATR within four weeks.