CBSE flags serious safety lapses at Jaipur school after Class 4 student’s death

A CBSE inquiry has raised serious concerns about safety failures at Neerja Modi School in Jaipur after a nine-year-old Class 4 student died on Nov 1 by jumping from the fourth floor of the school building.

The incident prompted the Central Board of Secondary Education to issue a strongly worded show cause notice to the institution, citing major lapses in monitoring, supervision, and response systems.

The two-member inspection panel visited the campus on Nov 3 and reported widespread violations that point to weak administrative control at one of Rajasthan’s best-known private schools.

The child’s death has intensified public anxiety in Jaipur and comes at a time when India is confronting a steep rise in student suicides. NCRB data for 2023 shows that 13,892 students died by suicide last year, forming 8.1% of all cases.

According to the CBSE findings, the student, who studied on the ground floor, managed to reach the fourth floor without any staff noticing. Students were not wearing ID cards, which led to delays in identifying the child after the fall.

The inspection team noted that the area where she fell had been washed, which made forensic assessment harder. The school did not have a mandatory safety and security committee in place.

Despite having more than 5,000 students, there was no staff member assigned to monitor live CCTV feeds.

Upper floors did not have safety nets or protective railings, and teachers, staff, and housekeeping personnel were themselves not wearing ID cards, as required under NCPCR and POCSO guidelines.

The committee also said that the school did not engage counselors even when children showed distress or abnormal behavior.

The parents, who met the CBSE team on Nov 12, described repeated bullying over 18 months. Their statements included allegations of abusive language, rumors, physical hitting, and name-calling by classmates.

They told the committee that the child often complained, but her concerns went unresolved, and that the class teacher had at times suggested she should “adjust with other kids.”

They said they had shared audio clips, messages, and signs of distress with teachers in July 2024 and again in October 2025, but the Anti-Bullying Committee never intervened.

They recounted that the child frequently pleaded not to attend school and had told her mother, “Mumma, I don’t want to go to school. Everyone troubles me. Please get me out of here.”

Information reviewed by CBSE from CCTV footage and teacher interviews indicates that the student arrived looking cheerful and was talking to friends, dancing, and eating snacks.

Around 11 am she appeared upset because of something written on a digital slate by a group of boys. The notice states that she looked “puzzled” and “embarrassed” and asked them several times to stop.

She sought help from her teacher five times in a span of 45 minutes, but the committee says the teacher “shouted” multiple times instead of addressing the issue. The teacher has acknowledged that the child complained about “bad words” being used.

The student skipped lunch, looked visibly disturbed, and later walked out of the classroom area. The board said the situation could likely have been prevented if timely intervention had taken place.

The notice lists breaches across CBSE’s anti-bullying rules, child protection guidelines, CCTV norms, the National Building Code, the NDMA School Safety Policy, and CBSE affiliation bylaws on safety, vigilance, and mental health safeguards.

The committee concluded that the school ignored early warnings, failed to maintain basic safety infrastructure, and did not create a supportive environment for students showing signs of distress.

CBSE has given the school 30 days to explain why action should not be taken under Chapter 12 of the Affiliation Bye Laws. The penalties available to the board include withdrawal of affiliation.