ILAM: Children in the District Jail have been barred from school education as they lack birth registration certificates.

As most of the women doing their time in the jail do not hold citizenship certificates, education of their children is at stake.

Agyan Chhetri (3) has been spending his tender days in the jail premises with his mother behind the bars. His mother Hima Devi, who was jailed for abandoning the child, lacks citizenship certificate. Hence, the birth registration of the child was also not possible.

Another four-year-old Smriti Rai's registration was not possible as her mother also lacks the citizenship certificate and the whereabouts of her father is unknown. Pampha Rai is serving a 20-year jail sentence for her involvement in a murder.

Similarly, Ishwor Shrestha and Nishan Rai have also been compelled to spend their childhood without proper education.

According to the Village Development Committee's Secretary Krishna Prasad Khanal, the birth registration process requires verification of his/her parents' citizenship certificates.

The Jail's Chief Srijana Luitel said even though many organisations have assured to educate the children residing in the Jail, it has not been possible because of lack of registration certificates.