School accidents raise alarm: Panel urges insurance cover for students

Children’s Rights Commission asks CM Siddaramaiah to introduce both accident and life insurance for school and PU college students amid rising mishaps.

The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights has written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, urging the state government to introduce a comprehensive accident and life insurance scheme for school and pre-university college students across Karnataka.

In its letter, the Commission highlighted a worrying rise in accidents reported from schools and PU colleges in recent years. These incidents include children getting injured after falling into hot mid-day meal vessels, accidents during school excursions and sports events, electrical mishaps, and failures of school buildings and basic infrastructure. Some of these tragic incidents have even resulted in the loss of young lives, raising serious concerns about student safety.

The Commission noted that several complaints related to such incidents have been formally recorded with it, pointing to systemic gaps in safety and preparedness within educational institutions. It stressed that when accidents occur during school hours or school-related activities, children often suffer serious injuries rather than fatalities alone.

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According to the Commission, providing only life insurance to students is not sufficient. Life insurance offers compensation only in the event of death. However, in most school-related accidents, children survive but are left with severe injuries, permanent disabilities, or conditions that require long-term and expensive medical treatment.

In such situations, accident insurance becomes critical as it can cover treatment costs, provide compensation for disability, and offer immediate financial support to affected families. The Commission therefore underlined that both accident insurance and life insurance are essential to ensure meaningful protection for children.

Emphasising the need to prevent further distress to families, the Commission urged the government to act swiftly and implement a dual insurance mechanism to safeguard students studying in Karnataka’s schools and pre-university colleges.