No more neckties: Why Haryana schools will see an urgent uniform policy change

3 min readChandigarhJul 12, 2026 04:57 PM IST

Haryana school necktie advisory asks government and private schools to replace conventional ties with safer breakaway or Velcro alternatives following a child's death in Bhiwani (Image generated using AI).

Days after a seven-year-old boy in Bhiwani accidentally strangled himself while playing with his elder brother’s school tie, the Haryana State Commission for Protection of Child Rights Friday urged all schools to discontinue the use of conventional neckties as a mandatory part of school uniforms. The directive applies immediately to all government, government-aided, private, and recognised institutions.

Commission Chairperson Tripti confirmed the advisory, telling The Indian Express that similar incidents had previously been reported in Haryana’s Sonipat and in parts of Rajasthan. “Sometimes, fatal accidents happen when children, while playing in a light mood, casually pick up these neckties,” she said.

The advisory stated, “Where a necktie is considered necessary to maintain uniformity or discipline, schools should adopt clip‑on (breakaway) or Velcro (quick‑release) neckties.”

It further said, “Until such alternatives are adopted, schools should ensure that conventional neckties are not worn during sports, physical education classes, playground activities or any other activity involving a risk of entanglement.”

The Commission also directed schools to sensitise teachers, students, and parents about the potential hazards associated with conventional neckties.

The advisory has been forwarded to the Haryana School Education Department for circulation to all schools in the state. In exercising its functions under Section 13 of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005, the panel noted that it had taken cognisance of a series of incidents reported from different parts of the country where school‑going children died due to accidental strangulation caused by ties becoming entangled with swings, wall hooks, and other objects during play and routine activities.

Prevention over convention

The Commission stressed that such incidents, though accidental, are preventable. It observed, “Conventional neckties, which are primarily worn as part of school uniforms for reasons of appearance and discipline, can pose an avoidable risk of strangulation. Safer alternatives, including clip‑on (breakaway) and Velcro (quick‑release) neckties, are readily available and serve the same purpose while substantially reducing the risk of injury.”

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“Where a safer alternative exists, children should not be exposed to an avoidable hazard merely as a matter of uniform convention.”

In the recent Bhiwani case, the seven‑year‑old son of a worker was reportedly trying to wear his elder brother’s tie, which was part of a private school’s uniform. During play, the tie formed a noose. Though he was rushed to hospital, doctors declared him dead.

Welcoming the advisory, Kulbhushan Sharma, president of the National Independent Schools Association (NISA), described the decision as sensitive and focused on child safety. He further urged the Commission to take cognisance of students who migrate to coaching hubs such as Kota in Rajasthan and other cities, often while remaining enrolled as dummy candidates in their native schools. Sharma suggested that the Commission should issue an advisory to ensure the safety of these students as well.