Understanding Justice K. Chandru Committee Report In Detail
Recommendations To Prevent Caste-Based Discrimination
The report provides a multifaceted approach to address the deep-rooted problem of caste-based discrimination, including:- Banning of caste markers: Prohibiting students from wearing any coloured wristbands, rings, or forehead marks (tilaka) that are caste markers.
- Removal of caste affiliations: Schools should be renamed ‘Kallar Reclamation’ and ‘Adi Dravidar Welfare’ to eliminate any reference to caste.
- Periodic transfer of teachers: Transferring high school and higher secondary school teachers periodically ensures that educators do not serve extended tenures in one location.
- Mandatory orientation programme: Providing a mandatory orientation programme for Classes 6 to 12 on caste discrimination and caste violence, sexual harassment, and sexual violence and laws such as the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention) of Atrocities Act.
- Alphabetical seating arrangements: Seating arrangements of students in every classroom in all schools and colleges should be strictly based on alphabetical order.
- Attendance registers: The students' attendance registers must not contain any column or details relating to their caste.
- School Welfare Officer (SWO): Appoint an SWO for each secondary school with over 500 students to oversee policies that foster an inclusive and discrimination-free environment.
- Social Justice Students Force (SJSF): Creating an SJSF, modelled on the National Service Scheme (NSS), to combat social evils.
Other Recommendations
Some of the other recommendations include:- Code of conduct for teachers and staff: Prescribing a statutory code of conduct for teachers and staff across all state-run educational institutions.
- Separate legislation: Enacting separate legislation to enforce social inclusion and a robust grievance redressal mechanism to allow students to report caste-based grievances confidentially.
- Student associations: Allowing student associations in all schools and colleges with annual elections.
- Local bodies’ control: Increasing local bodies’ control over primary education.
- Noon meal schemes: Managing noon meal schemes more efficiently through block-level central kitchens.
- Special intelligence units: Establishing special intelligence units.
- Expert body or agency: Appointing an expert body or agency to investigate allegations of saffronisation of education and activities that infiltrate educational institutions, hampering caste and communal harmony.
Key Findings Of The Report
The key findings of this report are:- Lack of infrastructure: The prevailing conditions in the 13 homes meant to rehabilitate children in conflict with the law (CCL) are horrific.
- Violence and abuse: Children are routinely subjected to violence inside their homes, live in unsanitary conditions, are locked indoors, and barely get sufficient food.
- Inadequate access to counsellors: The teens need consistent access.
- No age or crime-based segregation: There is no segregation among the CCLs based on the crimes they are accused of, their age, the nature of the offence, or the number of times a CCL committed offences.
- Lack of mental health help: Rehabilitation measures inside the homes mandate informal education, vocational training, a de-addiction centre, and counselling, but homes in Tamil Nadu are not keen to put effort towards it.
