NHRC notice to Kerala

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sent notices to the Kerala Government, following a news report that five HIV-positive children were thrown out of school in Kottayam.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the report, the Commission said it raised a serious issue of violation of human rights. The news item said theaction against the children, in the age group 4-10, was taken after parents of other pupils threatened to pull out their wards because of the stigma attached to HIV.

The Commission asked the Secretaries of Health and General Education to look into the matter and send a factual report in two weeks.