Ranchi
In a significant step towards making school education more inclusive, the Jharkhand Cabinet on Tuesday approved a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) exempting students suffering from sickle cell disease, thalassaemia, haemophilia, Type-1 diabetes, specified non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and children with disabilities (Divyang students) from the mandatory 75% attendance requirement for appearing in board examinations.
The decision acknowledges that students living with chronic illnesses often miss classes due to prolonged treatment, repeated hospitalisation, blood transfusions, medical emergencies and regular clinical follow-ups, circumstances beyond their control. Until now, many such students faced the risk of losing an academic year despite being academically capable because they failed to meet the attendance threshold prescribed by schools and examination boards.
The newly approved SoP seeks to ensure that illness does not become a barrier to education and that students are assessed on their academic preparedness rather than the number of days they could physically attend school.
What the SOP provides
The SOP and educational guidelines under the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission mandate that schools provide extensive attendance relief, flexible evaluations, and physical accommodations for students suffering from SCD. This is because students with SCD miss an average of 20 to 40 school days per year due to unpredictable painful crises and medical treatments, official protocols ensure their academic progress is not penalized.
The SOP lays down a uniform mechanism under which eligible students can obtain exemption from the 75% attendance requirement. Students diagnosed with notified diseases—including SCD, thalassaemia, haemophilia, Type-1 diabetes and other specified non-communicable diseases—as well as children with benchmark disabilities will be able to seek attendance relaxation by producing prescribed medical documents issued by authorised government or recognised medical institutions.
The SOP is expected to standardise the process across schools by defining eligibility, documentation requirements, medical certification, verification procedures and the competent authority responsible for granting the exemption, thereby reducing ambiguity and ensuring uniform implementation across the state.
Why the Cabinet took the decision
- Children suffering from these conditions frequently require lifelong treatment rather than short-term care.
- A child with thalassaemia major may require blood transfusions every two to four weeks throughout life.
- A student with haemophilia can suffer sudden bleeding episodes that require immediate medical intervention.
- Type-1 diabetes demands lifelong insulin therapy, frequent monitoring of blood glucose and periodic hospital visits.
- Children living with SCD often experience painful vaso-occlusive crises, severe anaemia, recurrent infections and repeated hospital admissions.
These prolonged medical absences often make it impossible for students to achieve 75% classroom attendance even though they continue studying at home or during treatment. The Cabinet recognised that rigid attendance norms were unintentionally penalising students for medical conditions beyond their control.
The exemption aims to prevent deserving students from losing an academic year solely because of illness.
How the decision will help
Education experts believe the move will have multiple long-term benefits. It will reduce school dropouts among such affected children, minimise psychological stress on families, improve continuity in education and enable students to compete equally in board examinations.
The policy is also expected to encourage parents to continue their children’s education instead of withdrawing them from school because of recurring illness. It strengthens the constitutional promise of equal educational opportunity while aligning school administration with principles of inclusive education.
For tribal and rural families, where access to specialised healthcare often requires travelling long distances, the decision is expected to be particularly significant.
Sickle Cell Disease In India And Jharkhand
SCD is an inherited disorder caused by abnormal haemoglobin that deforms red blood cells into a sickle shape, reducing oxygen supply and damaging multiple organs.
India is estimated to have around 2 crore million people carrying the sickle cell trait, while about 1 to 1.5 lakh people live with sickle cell disease. The disease is concentrated primarily among Scheduled Tribe populations across Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, although it also occurs in some Scheduled Caste and Other Backward Class communities.
In Jharkhand, the disease is reported among several tribal groups, particularly in districts with substantial tribal populations. While statewide prevalence varies across communities and districts, health authorities have increasingly expanded screening programmes to identify carriers and affected individuals at an early stage.
Recognising the scale of the problem, the Union Government launched the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission in July 2023 with the goal of eliminating sickle cell disease as a public health problem by 2047. The mission aims to screen nearly 7 crore people aged 0-40 years in affected tribal-dominated areas, issue digital health cards, provide counselling, promote early diagnosis and strengthen treatment and follow-up services.
Thalassaemia in India
Thalassaemia is another inherited blood disorder that requires lifelong medical management.
India records an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 children born with thalassaemia major every year, while 35 to 45 million Indians are estimated to be carriers (approximately 3-4% of the population). Patients with severe forms usually require regular blood transfusions every few weeks and iron-chelation therapy to prevent iron overload.
Frequent hospital visits often interfere with schooling, making attendance-based eligibility particularly difficult for affected children.
Type-1 Diabetes in India
Type-1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin.
India has one of the world’s largest populations of children and adolescents living with Type-1 diabetes. According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Diabetes Atlas, more than 2.2 lakh children and adolescents (0-19 years) in India live with Type-1 diabetes.
The condition requires lifelong insulin administration, continuous monitoring of blood glucose levels and emergency care during episodes of severe hypoglycaemia or diabetic ketoacidosis, often resulting in unavoidable absence from school.
Non-Communicable Diseases
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are generally associated with adulthood, but a growing number of children are living with chronic illnesses requiring long-term medical care.
Besides diabetes, these include chronic kidney disease, epilepsy, congenital heart disease, cancer, haemophilia and several rare disorders. Such conditions often involve repeated hospitalisation, rehabilitation, surgery and prolonged treatment schedules that interrupt regular schooling.
