A complaint on disclosure of the identity of the girl student who was forced to drink her own urine by a school warden in Santiniketan has been made by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights to the Press Council of India and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The NCPCR in a statement said that the print media has been, of late, violating provisions under the Juvenile Justice Act by publishing names, pictures, home address, school address and other parameters of identity. It said that under section 21 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2000, any person contravening such provisions is liable to penalties.
The commission has asked the Press Council to circulate an advisory or set a protocol to the entire print media from refraining from disclosure of identities of such children.
"Strict action to be initiated against the violators," the statement said.
"The NCPCR also very strongly desired that a sensitization programme for the media personnel on reporting be organised in collaboration with various stakeholders working in the areas of protection of child rights," it said.
It demanded a strong set of protocols to be issued as such disclosures tended to leave its imprint and affect the social and mental health of children in their crucial development stage.
The statement said a letter has been issued also to the Electronic Media Monitoring Cell on measures to be adopted for non-disclosure of identity of such children.
A press release issued by Visva-Bharati university, which runs the Patha Bhavan school in Shantinekatan, two days ago had also mentioned the name of the victim.