India has called for those targeting schools and children during armed conflicts to be held accountable, stressing that protecting children without ensuring accountability remains incomplete.
Addressing a UN Security Council open debate on “Strengthening the Prevention of and Protection of Education for Children Affected by Armed Conflict: From Normative Commitments to Effective Implementation” in New York, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, said education must continue to be protected even during conflicts.
"Education is a right that should endure in times of conflict. It is a right whose fulfilment is among the most powerful contributions to lasting peace. India remains unwavering in its commitment to protecting children in armed conflict and to upholding their right to learn, to grow, and to realise their full potential," he said.
Emphasising the need for accountability, Parvathaneni said, "Protection without accountability is incomplete. Those who target schools and children with impunity must be held to account."
The UN Secretary-General's latest report on Children and armed conflict highlighted a sharp rise in violations against children, describing the situation in 2025 as reaching "shocking levels" with an unprecedented number of children affected.
According to the report, the UN verified 38,558 grave violations against children in 2025, affecting 24,174 children, including 15,493 boys, 7,990 girls and 691 whose sex was unknown. It marked the highest number of children affected by grave violations since the beginning of the mandate.
The report also noted that the number of children facing multiple grave violations increased from 3,137 in 2024 to 3,176 in 2025.
"Parties to conflict failed to uphold or proactively undermined their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law and continued to commit grave violations with near-total impunity, resulting in excessive humanitarian consequences for civilians and civilian objects, disproportionately affecting children and the facilities and services they rely on," the report said.
It added that government forces were responsible for a majority of grave violations and were the main perpetrators of the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and denial of humanitarian access.
India pointed out that the Secretary-General's 2025 annual report presented "alarming statistics", noting that attacks on schools increased by 44 per cent in a single year.
Parvathaneni said nearly 473 million children, more than one in six globally — live in or are fleeing conflict zones, while over 85 million among them have no access to education.
"These figures are a damning verdict on humanity's collective failure to translate commitments into reality on the ground," he said.
Highlighting the importance of education during conflicts, the ambassador said protecting a child's education was equivalent to protecting a nation's future. He added that governments carry the primary responsibility of safeguarding children's rights.
He also highlighted India's domestic efforts, noting that the Right to Education is a fundamental right under the Constitution, guaranteeing free and compulsory education up to the age of 14 years.
To expand access to quality learning, India launched DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing), the national digital platform for school education that provides interactive content and AI-powered tools in multiple languages.
"Our domestic commitment to ensure access to affordable and quality education also shapes our engagement on this issue internationally," Parvathaneni said.
He said India’s experience during disruptions such as the Covid pandemic showed that digital learning could help children continue education when physical schooling is affected.
"Our experience has convinced us that access to digital learning can be the bridge that helps children access education during conflicts," he added.
Parvathaneni further stressed that investing in education for communities affected by war was essential.
"India has made sustained investments in facilitating education for refugees and displaced communities from across our neighbourhood, recognising that continuity of learning is among the most powerful tools for resilience and recovery," he said.
He added that India has also supported rebuilding education infrastructure, including schools and vocational training centres, in several countries, particularly in its neighbourhood.
(With inputs from PTI)