In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country, the state government of Tamil Nadu is discussing the possibility of introducing accident insurance for school kids. This measure is being planned, taking into consideration the fact that Tamil Nadu accounts for the highest number of road accidents in the country.
The news came from minister for school education K.A. Sengottaiyan, who further elaborated that discussions regarding the same were on with chief minister E.K. Palaniswami. It is still unclear whether this insurance scheme will only cover the 1.4 crore students studying in government schools, or also those who are studying in other institutions in the state. Presently, the state offers health insurance to all its employees along with 1.5 crore families living below the poverty line.
Tamil Nadu is home to the most dangerous roads in the country. It has been the state with the most number of accidents for an entire decade spanning from 2002-2012. In 2016, according to the figures collected by the State Police, Tamil Nadu witnessed 17,218 deaths, a jump of 10% from the figure of 15,642 in 2015.
Some more data from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways show that the state also ranks highest in number of accidents occurring near institutions such as schools and colleges. 5,010 cases were registered in 2016, in which there were 1,207 fatalities 6,233 injuries.
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