The one-man committee headed by retired High Court judge K Chandru, to frame guidelines to avoid violence based on caste and community among college and school students, submitted its report to the Tamil Nadu Government on Tuesday, June 18. The recommendations of the committee include that of prohibiting coloured wristbands and other caste markers used by the students, and forming the Social Justice Students Force (SJSF).
One of the key recommendations made by the committee is that caste prefixes should be removed from the names of schools, and the schools must be called ‘government schools’ along with their location. Further, it has also been recommended that any caste prefix or suffix associated with government schools that indicate either the donor or their family should also be removed.
Another main recommendation is reservation in science courses of higher secondary classes for Scheduled Caste students. Further, the committee has also recommended the formation of the Social Justice Students Force (SJSF) with students from all communities to combat social evils. It has also been suggested that an expert body or an agency be formed to investigate allegations of saffronisation of education and activities that infiltrate educational institutions, hampering caste and communal harmony.
Further, along with recommending a common code of conduct for teachers and staff of all schools, colleges and universities run by the State, the committee also recommends that the attitude towards social justice issues must be ascertained and taken into account before the recruitment of teachers by Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB). It has also been suggested that all teachers and staff must undergo a compulsory orientation programme relating to social issues, caste discrimination, and the different laws pertaining to sexual violence, sexual harassment, drugs, ragging, and offences against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes before the start of every academic year, and must be informed of the consequences of violating those laws.
Regarding classroom culture, the committee has said that the attendance register of the students should not contain any column or details relating to their caste, and that no teacher shall directly or indirectly refer to the caste or make any derogatory remarks about a student’s caste, violation of which should be subjected to disciplinary action.
The students should also be prohibited from wearing any coloured wristbands, rings, or forehead caste marks, and must refrain from coming to school on bicycles painted with reference to their caste or exhibiting any caste-related sentiments, the committee said.
Along with these, the committee has also suggested that a counsellor should be appointed for each block and create a post of school welfare officer for each secondary school with more than 500 students. “The SWOs must monitor the functioning of the school regarding issues of ragging, drug menace, sexual assault and offences related to caste discrimination and should address these issues in accordance with the law.” Further, the SWO can file a complaint before the State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR), in case of complaints against the school management and can also recommend action against teachers and other staff regarding caste discrimination and other unfair practices, if any.
The committee was formed in August 2023 after two Dalit children were attacked by a group of six minors who barged into their house with machetes, in Nanguneri. Chinnadurai was allegedly attacked because he excelled in his studies, and his sister sustained injuries while trying to save him.
Earlier, the government had entrusted the retired justice to look into the working of homes under the JJ Act in Tamil Nadu and suggest ways to improve their efficiency, the report of which was submitted on November 15, 2023.