NHRC takes suo motu notice of a Bihar school roof propped up on benches since its pillar collapsed

The National Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognizance of media reports that the roof of a Government Primary School at Kiratpur in Darbhanga district, Bihar, has been resting on wooden benches, desks and bricks for roughly three to four months, ever since the pillar that supported it collapsed. The reports said the makeshift propping continues to be used despite the danger, putting an estimated 191 students and staff members at risk of a further collapse, and that the local administration appeared unaware of the condition of the building. The Commission observed that, if the reports are accurate, the facts raise serious issues of human rights violations, since children and staff are being made to occupy a structurally unsafe government building without any apparent remedial action.

It has issued a notice to the District Magistrate of Darbhanga, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks of the notice. The Commission's action does not itself repair the building or shift the students, but it puts the district administration formally on notice and creates a record the Commission can use to direct further action if the report confirms the danger, or to pursue the matter further if no report is furnished within the time given.