The Delhi High Court has asked jail authorities that inmates who wish to pursue Bachelor of Social Work from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) undergo the training in prison.
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A Bench of Justice Mukta Gupta and Justice Anish Dayal also asked the Director General (Prisons) to ensure that an appropriate programme is devised for inmates to fulfil the requirements of field work in the jail premises itself.
The court’s order came in response to a plea by a convict serving life term in a murder case who sought suspension of his sentence on the grounds that he had to undergo mandatory practical training with an NGO as part of his Bachelor of Social Work course from IGNOU.
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In a status report, the Superintendent of Tihar Jail told the court that letters were exchanged between the Director of School of Social Work, IGNOU, and the jail authorities to devise a programme for students of the course to undergo field work and practical training within the jail complex.
Taking note of the report, the court said, “The Director General (Prisons) is requested to oversee that an appropriate programme is devised so as to fulfil the requirements of field work/practical training to be undergone in the jail premises itself, so that students in the jail who wish to pursue the Bachelor of Social Work course can undergo the training at jail itself”.
It added, “The Director General (Prisons) is also requested to start the said programme as expeditiously as possible so that the students who are pursuing Bachelor of Social Work through IGNOU and while in custody can complete their courses.”
In the previous hearing, the Delhi government had told the court that the inmate has to do his field work or practical training in the jail premises only through any of the NGOs associated with the jail. “The student need not venture out of the jail for completing his field work,” it had said.