Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Kolkata-/Now-a-watchdog-for-corporal-punishment/articleshow/6039693.cms
KOLKATA, INDIA, June 12, 2010: The storm over alleged corporal punishment at La Martiniere, a prestigious non-denominational school in India for boys, has has forced the state government to take notice.
Following the suicide of a student after being caned by the principal, the school banned corporal punishment. “No child will be subjected to physical punishment and mental torture and whoever contravenes such provisions, shall be construed a major violator of rules and if found guilty, shall be liable for disciplinary action,” the school’s board of governors said in a notification.
But the government decided to act as well. On Friday, it decided to set up a committee with sweeping powers to investigate child abuse and punishment in government and private schools, even those run by minority institutions.
As things stand now, the state government cannot take action against the school for the suicide of a student who was allegedly caned and humiliated so badly that he killed himself. La Marts for Boys principal Sunirmal Chakravarthy — who has reportedly confessed to the caning — is the focus of multiple inquiries by the police, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions.