HC directs TN govt to provide helpline to report sexual harassment in schools

The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu government to provide helpline numbers to enable students and parents register complaints regarding irregularities and sexual harassment in schools besides conduct of tutorial classes by teachers after school hours.

Justice SM Subramaniam gave the direction recently on a petition by R Renganathan, a government school head master, seeking to quash the order passed by the Commissioner of Coimbatore Municipal Corporation, transferring him to another school.

Dismissing the petition, the judge said, "... this Court is of the considered opinion that no interference is required as such a transfer would not affect the service conditions of the writ petitioner nor the transfer affect normal life... Thus, the writ petition is liable to be rejected."
Referring to growing indiscipline in educational institutions which 'affects' the nation's development, the judge said, "This Court, with great pain, records that growing instances of sexual harassment in schools, colleges and Universities are causing greatest concern both to parents as well as to society at large."