India Demands UN Accountability After 44 Percent Rise in School Attacks

New Delhi has urged the United Nations Security Council to strictly enforce accountability against entities targeting educational institutions and minors in conflict zones. Addressing a global forum, Indian diplomats emphasized that safeguarding students remains incomplete without penalizing perpetrators, especially as international data reveals a sharp escalation in wartime violence against children.

India has called for those targeting schools and children in conflict to be held accountable, saying protection without accountability is incomplete. Speaking at a UN Security Council open debate on strengthening the prevention of and protection of education for children affected by armed conflict, India said education must remain protected even during war.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, said, “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.”

Addressing the debate at the United Nations on Wednesday, Parvathaneni stressed that, “protection without accountability is incomplete. Those who target schools and children with impunity must be held to account.” India also pointed to the UN Secretary-General’s 2025 Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, which it said presented alarming statistics, including a 44 per cent rise in attacks on schools in a single year.

The Secretary-General’s latest report said violations against children in armed conflict reached “shocking levels” in 2025, with an unprecedented number of children affected. The United Nations verified 38,558 grave violations affecting 24,174 children in 2025, including 15,493 boys, 7,990 girls and 691 whose sex was unknown. The number of children subjected to multiple grave violations rose from 3,137 in 2024 to 3,176 in 2025.

The report said parties to conflict failed to uphold, or actively undermined, their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and continued to commit grave violations with near-total impunity. 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 the denial of humanitarian access.

Parvathaneni said nearly 473 million children, or more than one in six globally, live in or are fleeing conflict zones, and more than 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. He added that protecting a child’s education meant protecting a nation’s future, and that governments bear the primary responsibility to protect and promote children’s rights.

He said the Right to Education in India is a fundamental right under the Constitution, guaranteeing free and compulsory education up to the age of 14 years. To expand access to quality education, he said, India launched DIKSHA, the national digital platform for school education, which has widened access to learning through interactive content and AI-powered tools in multiple languages. He added that India’s domestic efforts to ensure affordable and quality education also shape its international engagement on the issue.

Parvathaneni said India has used digital technology as an important tool to support access to education, especially where physical schooling is disrupted, including during the Covid pandemic. “Our experience has convinced us that access to digital learning can be the bridge that helps children access education during conflicts,” he said.

He also said investment in education for those bearing the heaviest burden of war is 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 added that India has also invested in rebuilding education infrastructure, including schools and vocational training centres, in different countries, including in its neighbourhood.

India’s intervention at the UN brought together its call for accountability, concern over rising attacks on schools, and its emphasis on education as a right that must be protected for children affected by armed conflict.

Future Outlook

The international community faces an escalating challenge in ensuring the continuity of education amid changing geopolitical dynamics. As verified violations against youth reach unprecedented levels, the reliance on traditional infrastructure will likely shift toward hybrid frameworks. UN member states are expected to face mounting regulatory pressure to categorize digital educational access as an essential humanitarian provision. Future diplomacy will likely focus heavily on treating digital equity as a cornerstone of post-conflict reconstruction and community resilience worldwide.

FAQs

What was the core message of India’s statement at the UN Security Council?

India emphasized that protecting children and schools in conflict zones is entirely incomplete without enforcing absolute accountability. Indian diplomats asserted that those who strike educational institutions with impunity must be brought to justice to deter future international violations.

How much did targeted attacks on schools increase according to the UN report?

The UN Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict documented an alarming 44 per cent increase in strikes on schools over a single consecutive year, reflecting a severe breakdown in compliance with global humanitarian laws.

How many minor casualties and violations were verified by the UN in 2025?

The United Nations verified 38,558 severe violations impacting 24,174 minors in 2025. This population included 15,493 boys, 7,990 girls, and 691 individuals whose gender remained undetermined, marking historically high levels of wartime non-compliance.

What domestic models did India present to the UN as potential global solutions?

India highlighted its constitutional guarantee of free, compulsory schooling up to 14 years of age and its national digital repository, DIKSHA. New Delhi proposed that remote learning systems and AI capabilities could serve as vital bridges to sustain educational access when traditional schools face physical destruction.