Madhya Pradesh schoolchildren risk lives crossing dam, NHRC intervenes

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of two media reports highlighting serious child‑rights violations in Madhya Pradesh, India. In Vidisha district, children walk to school by hopping across the concrete pillars of a check dam on the Betwa River, a route that shortens the journey from 13 km to 1.5 km but exposes them to daily danger. Nine students, including five girls, use the shortcut; a viral video shows them navigating the gaps. Villagers say they cannot escort the children because they work in the fields, leaving the children with the choice of abandoning school or risking the crossing. The NHRC issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh chief secretary, demanding a detailed report within two weeks and citing Article 21A of the Constitution and a Supreme Court ruling that the right to education includes safe infrastructure. A separate report involved a Dalit fourth‑grader who was assaulted and subjected to casteist slurs by a teacher, prompting the NHRC to seek further investigation.