From clothes and food to bedding: HC details essentials for inmates at homes

The Uttarakhand High Court has issued directions to the state government detailing the sort of clothes, food and infrastructure that should be provided to inmates in the child care institutions in the state.

The directives are part of order that a division bench of Justices Rajiv Sharma and Sharad Kumar Sharma gave Wednesday while disposing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed in 2016 by Shivangi Gangwar.

Citing Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Rules, 2016, the bench directed the state government to ensure a minimum standard of clothing and bedding in every child care institution.

The court directed the state government to ensure that every girl inmate was provided five sets of skirts and blouse or salwar kameez or half-sari with blouse and petticoat every year depending on their age and regional preferences, three sets of age-appropriate undergarments every three months, two sets of nightwear every six months, 12 packs of sanitary towels every year, two woollen sweaters (full sleeves) every year and a woollen shawl every year.

In case of boys, the court directed the authorities to provide them two sets of shirts and trousers and shorts at the time of admission and subsequently one set each after every six months, three sets of age-appropriate undergarments every three months, two woollen jerseys and a woolen cap every year and two sets of kurta pyjamas for nightwear every six months.

The order also stated that in addition to the normal clothing specified, each child should be provided, twice a year, with a suit consisting of one white shirt, one pair of shorts or pants, one pair of white canvas shoes and one blazer for use during ceremonial occasions. In case of girls, they should be provided one white half-sari or one salwar kameez or one white skirt and one white blouse, a pair of white canvas shoes and a blazer.

On standard bedding, the court directed the state government to ensure that each childcare institution should have for every child a mattress, cotton bed sheets, pillow (cotton stuffed), pillow covers, cotton blankets, cotton filled quilt, mosquito net, two cotton towels and so on.

On Wednesday, HC gave a series of directions to the state government, which if implemented, will go a long way in improving the condition of inmates in child care institutions.

The HC also directed the state government that childcare institutions having more than 50 children, should have the required infrastructure spread over 8495 sq feet including two dormitories, two classrooms, sickroom/first aid room, kitchen, dining hall, store, recreation room, library, five bathrooms, eight toilets, office rooms counseling and guidance room, workshop, residence for person-in-charge, two rooms for Juvenile Justice Board or Child Welfare Committee and sufficient area for a playground.

The court also stressed that there should be adequate lighting, heating and cooling arrangements, ventilation, safe drinking water, clean and accessible gender and age appropriate and disabled friendly toilets and high walls with barbed wire fencing in the childcare institutions in the state.