The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued an “order” to the Uttar Pradesh government seeking “appropriate action” when a request to upgrade a government upper primary school in Kozhikode district was placed before it.
Noushad Thekkayil, a human rights activist, had sought the rights panel’s intervention to get Government Upper Primary School, Velimanna, in Kozhikode, upgraded to enable the higher studies of Mohammed Asim, a boy born with 90% disability. In its reply, the commission said “the complaint be transmitted to the authority concerned for appropriate action within eight weeks.”
However, instead of sending a copy of the order to the officials in Kerala, it was sent to the Principal Secretary, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Government of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow. An NHRC official said the complainant might have to file another plea citing the “change in jurisdiction.”
Asim, who finished Class 7 last year, is unable to continue his studies as there are no high schools within a 5-km radius of his house.
Plea denied
He had staged a dharna outside the Kozhikode Collectorate. The Education Department cited technical reasons to deny the plea.