With an aim to providing a better future for the children staying in the Presidency Correctional Home, the jail authorities have undertaken a plan to impart basic education, so that these children can sit for their Board examinations.

This is for the first time that the authorities have taken up such a plan. Over 40 children have enrolled in the new school within Presidency jail.

The new building was inaugurated by inspector-general (prisons) B.D. Sharma on Saturday. The students were also gifted a set of school uniforms and textbooks on Poila Baisakh.

Most of these children stay with their mothers, who have been arrested on criminal charges. ?It?s very unfortunate to see these children suffering inside the jail for no fault of their own. I feel they should not be deprived of anything which is their right, like basic education. This programme will help them build a future for themselves,? Sharma said.

The classes will be held on a regular basis, like any other school.

Every day, two teachers from the NGO Udayani Social Action Forum will visit the jail to teach the children. They will hold classes in English, Bengali, mathematics, history, geography and other subjects.

At the end of the year, examinations will be held. An evaluation of the performance will promote the children to the next class. Institutions like St Lawrence School and Carmel school will issue the marksheets of these examinations.

Father Xavier, a member of the NGO, said: ?We have spoken to the principals of both Carmel and St Lawrence and they are eager to coordinate with us. As the children cannot be brought out of the jail, we have decided to conduct the classes within the jail compound.?

?And if we spot any meritorious student, we may also think of shifting him or her to a better school with the consent of the mother,? a senior jail official said.

He, however, admitted that security will be a problem for taking children outside the jail.

Following the tradition of Tihar jail, the authorities are also putting up ceiling fans inside the cells.

?So far, we did not have any fans inside cells. But now, with the rising temperature, fans have become very essential. At the moment, we have installed 20 fans inside Presidency jail. Plans are afoot for more,? summed up Sharma.