CCTV must in school buses: Rights panel

Taking cognisance of incidents of child sexual abuse on school buses, the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MSCPCR) on Monday has asked schools to follow the guidelines of school buses to ensure the safety of students during travel. This includes installation of CCTV cameras inside all school buses before they ply on road to ferry the children.

The commission has also recommended taking parent-teacher association help into ensuring safety. "Daily counselling for children in terms of behaviour of the attendant, conductor and driver towards them should be carried out and a report card should be prepared and placed before the PTAs in the meetings. Services of hiring buses should be finalised with the consent of the PTA," said AN Tripathi, secretary, in his order.