Staff Reporter
Panaji
Unhygienic living conditions and mismanagement of medicines are among the findings made by the Goa State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (GSCPCR) during a surprise inspection conducted by it at the boys and girls hostels of educational institution PM Shri Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Canacona, which is affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
The inspection was conducted by GSCPCR on March 15.
It has demanded swift remedial action by the institution’s administration, emphasising that failure to comply with the directive within the stipulated time frame will result in legal action under the CPCR (Commissions for Protection of Child Rights) Act, 2005.
Chairperson of GSCPCR Peter F. Borges said inspection of the hostels for boys and girls at the school has unveiled a distressing truth and a prevalent atmosphere of neglect and indifference.
“From the nauseating odour of filthy toilets to the sight of clothes drying inside dormitories, from apathetic staff to the absence of adequate supervision and essential services such as counselling and sanitary napkin disposal, every aspect screams of a system failing to meet even the most basic standards of care,” said Borges. He said, “With the warden’s oversight being lax, every aspect of their (students) living conditions reflects institutional neglect.”
He said, “This isn’t merely an oversight, it’s a systemic breakdown and neglect over a period of time that demands immediate, resolute action. The safety and dignity of our children are non-negotiable.”
Apart from unhygienic living conditions and mismanagement of medicines, the other findings of GSCPCR include fire safety negligence, lack of good toilet facilities and sanitation, inadequate supervision and administrative oversight, absence of counselling service, overcrowding and capacity issues, improper disposal of sanitary napkins and inappropriate laundry practices.
The GSCPCR found the hostel premises to be in a state of severe neglect with personal belongings and waste littering the living spaces, contributing to filthy environment.
It was also found that there was unsupervised access to medicines, including cough syrups and some of them were also discovered to be unlabelled, posing a grave risk to children, particularly those under 15.
Toilets were found to be in a state of disrepair, with pervasive foul odour, reflecting a disregard for basic hygiene and health standards.
Lack of a proper warden and insufficient supervision were visible during the inspection. Over 400 children were found to be lacking the essential emotional and psychological support, highlighting a neglect of their comprehensive well-being.
The hostels’ limited capacity exacerbated the existing challenges thus compromising the quality of care.
The faulty incinerators for sanitary napkins posed hygiene and health risks, while
the inappropriate drying of clothes inside dormitories impacted the air quality and cleanliness.