Delhi school safety measures will be strengthened through enhanced patrolling, stricter driver verification and real-time emergency-response monitoring under a series of directions issued by the Supreme Court on October 8.
A Bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran ordered intensified police patrolling across the National Capital Territory, particularly around schools, colleges, universities, coaching institutions and other locations identified through vulnerability mapping. The directions followed the court’s September 28 decision to take suo motu cognisance of a series of rape cases reported across Delhi-NCR.
The court said the recurrence of sexual offences despite existing measures, including anti-eve-teasing squads, raised questions about whether preventive protocols were being implemented with sufficient consistency, supervision and accountability. It made the Delhi Chief Secretary and the Delhi Police Commissioner responsible for filing periodic compliance reports and said both officers would be personally answerable for lapses.
The police chief has also been asked to inform the court whether command centres or “war rooms” are operational in Delhi and to provide details of protocols for real-time coordination and emergency response. The court directed authorities to explain how emergency SOS alerts in vehicles are monitored, which personnel respond to them and how response times are tracked. Passengers must also be informed about the assistance available after an SOS alert is activated and the expected response time.
Driver and assistant verification has been mandated for government and private buses, cabs, taxis and autorickshaws, including vehicles linked to app-based aggregators such as Ola, Uber and Rapido. Only registered and verified persons will be permitted to operate these vehicles, while their names and photographs must be displayed prominently so passengers can identify and report unauthorised drivers.
The order also addresses the practice of vehicle substitution and sub-letting. Any replacement driver must be registered and verified in advance, while unauthorised sub-letting to an unverified driver has been prohibited. The court directed authorities to use vehicle checkpoints for periodic and surprise checks. Violations could result in action including suspension or dismissal of the driver or assistant and seizure of the vehicle.
The Bench asked the Delhi Police Commissioner to review the functioning of the “Shishtachar Squads”, which were established through a Delhi Police circular in March 2025 to address eve-teasing and sexual harassment in public places. The Commissioner must submit the squads’ weekly reports for the past three months, including details of areas covered, the frequency of drives and action taken.
The directions extend to physical conditions in public spaces. Authorities have been ordered to remove trucks, heavy vehicles and other vehicles parked in ways that obstruct visibility or create blind spots. Beat officers must monitor unauthorised liquor outlets, illegal alcohol sales and crowding or loitering around such establishments.
The court linked apparently minor urban management failures, including unattended streetlights, dysfunctional CCTV cameras, dark stretches and unresolved public complaints, to a heightened perception of insecurity. It referred to the “Broken Windows theory” and advised police personnel to engage with residents, particularly around educational institutions and paying-guest accommodations housing young women.
District-wise status reports covering compliance with the earlier and latest directions must be filed by November 6. The Supreme Court has listed the matter for further hearing on November 16.
