Rajasthan govt restricts entry of outsiders, photography and interviews as CJP plans school visits

The Rajasthan government on Sunday imposed restrictions on unauthorised entry of outsiders in the state-run schools. The circular laid down strict guidelines on entry of strangers, photography and live streaming of school premises or collection of personal information of students or teachers.

The new rules came on the same day when Cockroach Janta Party’s Ashutosh Ranka announced that he would be visiting schools across Rajasthan as part of the CJP's ' School Thik Karo ' campaign to conduct an audit of the school amenities and quality of education being provided.

The government directive drew criticism from the Opposition as Rajasthan Congress chief Govind Singh Dostara hit out at the BJP government for trying to cover up its alleged failure. "Instead of improving the condition of government schools, the BJP government has found a way to cover up its failure and hide the poor condition of the education system," he said.

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CJP co-convener Ranka said he had received requests to inspect schools in Jaipur, Kota, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Udaipur, Bharatpur, Dholpur, Barmer, and Hanumangarh. The schools in these cities were allegedly in dilapidated conditions and demands for repair were being ignored by the administration.

The Rajasthan government circular cited the principle of "in loco parentis", which means "in place of parents", to justify the move which it said was aimed at securing the safety, dignity, well-being and welfare of all children.

The Secondary Education department said the measures were being taken to safeguard the children's Right to Privacy and comply with the school safety policy and guidelines of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).

Akanksha Verma is an Associate Editor at the Hindustan Times in New Delhi. With an experience of over a decade, she has led newsrooms operations and worked on digital content strategies. She is adept at covering breaking news situations and holds expertise in doing long-form explainers on national, political and geopolitical issues. Akanksha has previously worked with The Times Of India, Indian Express Online, News18.com, India Ahead and The Daily Jagran. She has written on key national and global events, including the Lok Sabha Elections, Assembly Elections, US Elections, US-Iran war, Operation Sindoor, Israel-Palestine conflict, Afghanistan conflict, Ram Temple verdict, Ladakh standoff, Abrogation of Article 370 and Demonetisation. She holds a BA (Hons) in English from Ramjas College, University of Delhi, and a Postgraduate Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Dhenkanal, Odisha. She is proficient in both English and Hindi and has earned a beginner-level certification in Korean. Beyond her newsroom responsibilities, Akanksha enjoys reading books that explore gender and social issues. She also turns to poetry as a creative outlet, writing verses whenever inspiration strikes. Read More