Gujarat orders written consent for all visitors and media in government schools

Gujarat’s education department issued a circular on Oct 21 requiring any outsider to obtain the principal’s written permission before stepping onto a government‑school campus. The same written consent is mandatory for photographing, filming or live‑streaming students, teachers or school activities. All visitors must sign an entry register and are allowed in classrooms, labs, libraries, playgrounds or toilets only after the principal’s approval and must stay with a school official throughout the visit. The order cites the state’s duty to act in place of parents and refers to safety guidelines from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and a Supreme Court ruling that recognises privacy as a fundamental right. Any breach – unauthorised entry, refusal to leave, illegal recording or disruption – is to be reported to police and education authorities, with possible action under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the IT Act. Government officers performing official duties are exempted from the permission rule. Similar bans have recently been announced in Rajasthan and parts of Uttar Pradesh, the former reacting to visits by the Cockroach Janta Party under its “School Theek Karo” drive. Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi criticised the move, saying it shields the government from scrutiny of crumbling infrastructure. He highlighted roughly 40,000 vacant teacher posts, about 42,000 dilapidated classrooms, 3,000 schools operating with a single teacher for over 80,000 pupils and 14,500 schools where multiple grades share a room. ## Context The order reflects a growing trend of Indian states tightening access to public schools after concerns over child safety and privacy, while opposition parties argue such measures can hide systemic problems like teacher shortages and poor facilities.