Complaint against a teacher

Dear Client,
According to Section 17(1) of the Right to Education Act, 2009, no child shall be treated with any physical punishment or mental harassment at school. If anyone breaches the provisions of this subsection, they shall be liable to punitive action under the service rules applicable to such person. Section 17 of the Act imposes an absolute bar on corporal punishment. It prohibits 'physical punishment' and 'mental harassment' and makes it a punishable offence, and prohibits teachers or the school authority from resorting to corporal punishment. Even, Section 83 of the IPC(now Section 21 of BNS) lays down that any act that is done by a child from the age of seven to twelve and is of immature understanding would not have said to have committed any offence, a child who has not attained the age of maturity in understanding to judge what the nature and the consequence of his conduct are on that occasion. Any complaint about the use of corporal punishment shall be submitted in writing to the Principal/Head/Superintendent of Schools for redressal, failing which Parents can escalate their complaint of corporal punishment against the concerned school before the District School Inspector and the concerned authorities of the Education Deptt of the State Government for redressal of the complaint.

Dear Client,

No, it is absolutely not legal for your teacher to beat you with a bamboo stick for any reason, especially for an accidental mistake like getting out of class. Corporal punishment in schools is strictly prohibited under several laws, including the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, which explicitly bans physical punishment and mental harassment of children . The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, also penalizes individuals who cause unnecessary physical or mental suffering to a child.

Such an act constitutes a violation of your fundamental rights and can be prosecuted under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt. You should immediately inform your parents or guardians, seek medical attention for your back pain to document the injury, and then file a formal complaint with the school authorities, the District Education Officer, the Child Welfare Committee, or even the police, as this is a serious offense that needs to be addressed to ensure your safety and prevent it from happening to other students.