Bangalore: Hey students, you may soon be frisked when you walk out of labs. In an attempt to curb acid attacks, the Ministry of Home Affairs wants to make sure you are not sneaking out dangerous chemicals and acids.
The MHA has shot off a letter to chief secretaries of all states asking them direct all educational institutes in their state to compulsorily frisk students when they come out of labs.
The letter states, “There shall be compulsory checking of students/personnel leaving laboratories or the place of acid storage. The sub-divisional magistrate concerned would be vested with the responsibility of taking appropriate action for the breach or violation.”
The MHA letter comes in the wake of a Supreme Court interim order that prohibits over-the-counter sale of chemicals if the seller is maintaining a register. The SC order came in a PIL filed by a girl who is an acid attack survivor.
Following the SC directive, the MHA has come up with a draft of Poison Rules 2013 and has communicated the same to the states.
The MHA also wants educational institutions with research laboratories to maintain a register about the usage of acids and submit them to sub-divisional magistrates. It basically wants to make people accountable for possession and safe keeping of acids in colleges.
But are Bangalore’s educational institutions ready to implement MHA’s directives? Bangalore University vice-chancellor B Thimme Gowda, who is a Chemistry professor himself, said, “It may be possible to frisk students in big institutes but not in smaller institutes. The biggest concern for educational institutions is maintaining their labs. Many labs are short staffed. Manpower shortage is so severe that most of these labs are maintained by attendants who have studied up to SSLC or PU II. In Germany, every acid in labs is under lock and key. It may be very difficult to even do experiments in labs if we follow such standards in Indian conditions. Moreover, most of the acids used in school and college labs are diluted and are not so harmful.” Gowda feels stringent punishment for culprits is better than frisking all students.
Sathyanarayan H S, whose daughter Shruti is an acid attack survivor, welcomed the MHA order. He said, “I hope the order checks acid attacks because most boys get easy access to acids from college laboratories.”
Anitha HS, a student in a city college, said, “I do not know whether frisking is feasible in colleges though MHA’s move seems to be well-intentioned and useful in preventing acid attacks.”
Yadunandan, Chemistry professor at VV Puram College of Science, said, “We welcome this move to curb acid attacks. But, frisking students is risky business. We need a debate over the issue before we take it forward.”
