NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court today asked the city government to start self-defence training for girls in schools as a precautionary measure keeping in mind their safety.
A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Yogesh Khanna said "as a preventive precautionary measure, start self- defence classes so as to arm and strengthen girls and ensure their self protection. This should include all techniques exclusively given to them on priority basis.
"The Delhi Government said it will be included as soon as possible and may be in the coming few months," the bench said.
The court asked the Delhi government to look into the feasibility of integrating such training into the curriculum of girl students.
It said there were several self-defence techniques which were "easily doable" and could be "handy" in "immobilising" the attackers.
Senior standing counsel for Delhi government Rahul Mehra said the Delhi education minister has said the training would be started in the schools soon.
He submitted that the Delhi Police was also imparting such training to women and girls in various colonies of the city.
But the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chairperson Swati Maliwal said there were not enough trainers available with the police.
The court, thereafter, suggested including volunteers and trainers from the society as well as the defence and paramilitary forces for teaching self-defence techniques to the girls.
The suggestions were given by the court while hearing a PIL initiated by it after the December 16, 2012 gangrape in a moving bus in Delhi.
The court has been giving directions from time to time with regard to improving crime investigation and protection of women in Delhi.