Children heave a sigh of relief in Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: After Goa and New Delhi, now Tamil Nadu has banned corporal punishment for school students.

From Wednesday, corporal punishment in the state's schools was pronounced illegal, with a rule that allowed teachers to beat students being deleted.

A government communiqué said that Rule 51, which "permits corporal punishment in respect of students caught lying or using obscene language", would be deleted forever.

In recent times, several parents and NGOs had pointed out that children were being excessively punished, the statement said. The media too reported many such incidents.

"In a fit of emotion, some boys and girls have gone to the extent of committing suicide," the statement pointed out.

The move comes more than three years after Ram Abhinav, a Class 10 student committed suicide in Chennai. It was a drastic reaction to being beaten by his teacher in front of his entire class for skipping school on his birthday.

Spurred by the media there was a public outcry after the incident and the State Human Rights Commission was seized of the matter.

But the school authorities, along with some parents and students, alleged that the corporal punishment meted out to Abhinav and his subsequent suicide was two totally unconnected incidents.

Rule 51 makes interesting reading. It says, "Corporal punishment shall not be inflicted, except in a case of moral delinquency such as deliberate lying, obscenity of word or act or flagrant insubordination, and it shall be limited to six cuts on the hand and administered only by or under the supervision of the headmaster."

Former director of school education A Muthu Krishnan had suggested that Rule 51 be replaced by another rule, which would grant every child an opportunity to learn the error of his/her ways through 'corrective' measures. Among other things an imposition and suspension from class were some of the corrective measures suggested.

A similar law was passed in Goa a few years ago and in December 2000, the Delhi High Court annulled Rule 37 of the Delhi School Education Rules that authorised corporal punishment.