MAHA TRIBAL DEATHS

The National Human Rights Commission on Tuesday issued a notice to the Maharshtra government over the reported deaths of 740 students t residential schools in the last 10 years.The commission has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report about the deaths."The schools lack health services and basic amenities. Reportedly, the figures are based on an internal report of the State Tribal Development Department",said a commission statement.As per the norms the students should be screened at least twice a year but government agencies are not following it, the apex human rights body said in the statement.

The commission stated the students coming from the tribal communities generally belonged to poor families and the school authorities, as their lawful guardians, were responsible to ensure the welfare , safety and healthcare needs of the tribal children.The negligence on the part of the state government's Department of Tribal Development and the school authorities was a violation of the right to life, dignity and equality of the students, the statement further said.The commissions has sought a detailed report in the matter within four weeks from the chief secretary of the government.

According to the media reports, the Tribal Development Department runs 552 residential schools for tribal students across the state. A number of posts in these schools are lying vacant, the commission said. The budgetary provisions are reportedly not being utilized in a proper manner.The issue of the deaths of tribal students at residential schools came to light when a 12-year-old girl from a residential school in Palghar district died on 7-10-2016.Most of the students died of dengue, malaria, food poisoning, suicide, drowning and even snake bite, the commission stated.

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WORST TRAIN ACCIDENT

Over 115 passengers were killed in the worst train accident in recent years, when 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express derailed in Kanpur(UP),in the wee hours, on 21st November. The disaster took place just a little after 3 am, when the passengers were jolted out of their sleep. The Patna bound express train jumped out of the track, due to suspected rail fracture. Four ordinary sleeper coaches were badly damaged. Of the four coaches, the S1 and S2 had telescoped into each other and most of the causalities were in these compartments. S3 and S4 coaches also suffered severe damage, while an AC three tier coach remained intact, with lesser causalities.

In rescue operation, the railway personnel were assisted by those of Army, NDRF and state police. The number of the causalities kept on increasing and the death toll is over 115, UP DGP Javeed Ahmad said. Among the dead, 43 have been identified, of which 20 are from Uttar Pradesh. Seventy-six passengers were seriously injured in the derailment IG Saki Ahmad Said. Over 150 injured people have been rushed to nearby hospital in the area. Officials said that prima facie the cause of the accident could be due to track fracture .The Minister of State for railways Manoj Sinha said that the derailment had happened owing to rail fracture.

Trapped in the worst hit S1 coach of the derailed, Indore-Patna Express for over 10 hours before being rescued, businessman Arun Sharma's journey to Patna by the train turned into a nightmare with his nine year old son missing. Mr. Sharma 42, his wife and another son were injured in the mishap. Mr. Sharma was travelling from Bhopal to Patna to attend his friend's wedding. The family, like most of the other passengers, were deep asleep when they were jolted as the train jumped off the tracks with such force that two coaches, S1 and S2, telescoped into each other.-------------------------------------------------------------------------