Yesterday, On 9th October, The Bombay High Court raised concerns over 80 deaths in ashram schools, questioning who is accountable. The court instructed Additional Public Prosecutor Prajakta Shinde to visit these schools and assess their conditions. Advocate Uday Warunjikar, representing the petitioner, pointed out that the death toll has remained unchanged for several years.
Mumbai: The Bombay High Court expressed deep concern over the unnatural deaths of children in Ashram Shalas in Maharashtra during a hearing held on Wednesday.
A bench consisting of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar highlighted that 80 such deaths had occurred over the past year, questioning who was accountable for these tragic incidents.
The Bombay High Court instructed the State to submit an affidavit detailing the measures it has taken to improve facilities and ensure the safety of students in various ashram schools.
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Ashram schools, which are operated by the state in remote areas, are intended to provide education for children from tribal communities. Currently, there are 497 government-run ashram schools, along with 544 aided institutions managed by private organizations under Maharashtra’s Tribal Development Department.
According to data presented to the court, 78 children died in government-run ashram schools and 60 in aided schools between 2023-24. Over a five-year period, from 2019 to 2024, 493 children lost their lives in government-run schools, while 318 died in aided institutions.
In response, the court directed Additional Public Prosecutor Prajakta Shinde to personally visit these ashram schools to assess their conditions.
The court remarked,
“Have you ever visited such institutions? Please visit one and observe the plight of the children. You call them ashram schools, but see their condition. This is all on paper; the schemes have not reached the children. There are issues with their assimilation into society, education, and even clothing. Visiting one of these schools will help you better convey the gravity of the situation to the department’s secretary.”
The bench was reviewing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in 2013 by Ravindra Talpe, which claimed that inadequate public utilities in ashram schools resulted in numerous deaths.
The PIL highlighted the absence of proper toilet facilities, which forced children to go outside, leading to incidents like snake bites.
Advocate Uday Warunjikar, representing the petitioner, noted that the number of deaths, which was around 80 a few years ago, has remained unchanged.
Warunjikar argued,
“It’s virtually the same. Earlier, they specified that 80 children died from snake bites, poor medical care, or drowning. Now, they just say 80 children died,”
He also pointed out that safety improvements recommended by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) have not been implemented by the government.
The bench instructed both the state and the petitioner to submit affidavits within two weeks, detailing the gap between the TISS recommendations and the actions taken by the state.
The case scheduled to be heard again on November 14.
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