India tells UNSC that those targeting schools, children must be held accountable
India has told the UN Security Council that those people targeting schools and children must be held accountable, adding that efforts to protect children remains incomplete without accountability.
India has urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to hold accountable those responsible for attacking schools and children, stressing that efforts to protect children remain incomplete without justice and accountability.
India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, made these remarks while addressing the UNSCon Wednesday, news agency PTI reported.
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."
He emphasised that "protection without accountability is incomplete" and called for those who target schools and children to be held accountable.
PTI reported that India's remarks came after the UN Secretary General released its report on Children and armed conflict, which said that in 2025, violations against children in armed conflict touched "shocking levels," with a record number of children being affected.
Violations against children in armed conflict
According to PTI, the report, in 2025, said the UN verified 38,558 grave violations, which affected 24,174 children, including 15,493 boys, 7,990 girls, and 691 sex unknown, making it the highest number of children being affected by serious violations since the agency began documenting such cases.
The news agency said the report also revealed that the number of children subjected to several grave violations continued to see an increase from 3,137 in 2024 to 3,176 in 2025.
The report said, “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.”
It also stated that the government forces accounted for most of the grave violations and were primarily responsible for the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and restrictions on humanitarian access, according to PTI.
UN report presents 'alarming statistics': India to UNSC
India's permanent representative to the UN said the 2025 report presents "alarming statistics", and the attacks on schools rose by a whopping 44% in a span of a year, according to PTI.
Parvathaneni said that roughly 473 million children, which means more than one in six globally, are either living in or are fleeing conflict zones, with roughly 85 million among them having no access to education.
Trump says Iran school strike culprit may never be known
In separate news, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that it may never be known who was responsible for a deadly strike on a girls' school in Iran on the first day of the US-Israel war in Tehran, which killed scores of children, Reuters reported.
Trump said, "I don't know that they are ever going to solve that problem in terms of whose fault it was, because there were missiles flying all over the place, and it's horrible what happened, but there were missiles flying all over the place."
He added, "Somebody said it was our missile, maybe it wasn't our missile, but I have seen nothing to lead me to believe it was." He reiterated, “I don't think it was us.”
Earlier in March, Reuters reported that an initial internal US military probe showed Washington's forces were likely responsible for the deadly strike in Iran's Minab.
About the Author
Swati Gandhi is a digital journalist with over four years of experience, specialising in international and geopolitical issues. Her work focuses on foreign policy, global power shifts, and the political and economic forces shaping international relations, with a particular emphasis on how global developments affect India. She approaches journalism with a strong belief in context-driven reporting, aiming to break down complex global events into clear, accessible narratives for a wide readership.<br><br> Previously, Swati has worked at Business Standard, where she covered a range of beats including national affairs, politics, and business. This diverse newsroom experience helped her build a strong grounding in reporting, while also strengthening her ability to work across both breaking news and in-depth explanatory stories. Covering multiple beats early in her career has helped her be informed about her current work, allowing her to connect domestic developments with wider international trends.<br><br> At Live Mint, she focuses on international and geopolitical issues through a business and economic lens, examining how global political developments, foreign policy decisions, and power shifts impact markets, industries, and India’s strategic and economic interests.<br><br> She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English (Honours) from the University of Delhi and a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Her academic training has shaped her emphasis on precision, analytical rigour, and clarity in writing. Her interests include global political economy and the intersection of geopolitics with business.<br><br> Outside work, Swati focuses on exploring her passion and love for food. From fancy cafes to street spots, Swati explores food like a true foodie.
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