Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 13: The Central Board of School Education (CBSE) has made it mandatory for all affiliated schools in Jammu and Kashmir to display tobacco warnings in the school premises. The Board has also advised schools not to allow students to participate in any events sponsored by tobacco companies.
The CBSE said that anti-tobacco display boards may be put up at various places including the entrance gate outside the boundary wall of the schools, at the reception, cafeteria and other prominent places in the size recommended without fail at the earliest.
The CEOs have also been asked to collate the violations for strengthening institutionalization of the mechanism and to forward the details on monthly basis to the Deputy Commissioners and the Superintendents of Police in their respective districts.
Notably, the Government with technical support from J&K Voluntary Health Association and VHAI Delhi has already conducted sensitization workshops for the CEO’s across the state to sensitize them on various aspects of tobacco control laws and measure, particularly in respect of Section 4 and Section 6 of Tobacco Control Act 2003.
“All CEOs in the State should now ensure regular monitoring of section 6 (b) of COTPA, work with the district police department to initiate action to book COTPA violations near educational institutions and should submit a monthly report to the Directorates of Education, Deputy Commissioners and the Superintendents of Police indicating the action taken and follow up actions initiated every month,” said Bhavna Mukhopadhyay, Executive Director, Voluntary Health Association of India.
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