T.S. Thakur, C.J.:- Four hundred and forty six precious lives, mostly children and women, were lost in what turned out to be the worst fire tragedy ever in this part of the Country. Besides those who died, nearly 200 suffered burn injuries, disfiguring some of them beyond recognition. Payment of compensation to those, who survived or the next of kin of those, who did not, may never heal their wounds completely nor make any material difference in the ground realities unless all those concerned do some introspection to identify the causes for such tragedies and take corrective steps to prevent their recurrence in future. That is because human tragedies of such magnitude are more often than not caused as much by lack of care and caution as by the all round failure of public authorities statutory or otherwise in the due and proper discharge of their functions and duties especially those concerning enforcement of safety measures.

2. D.A.V. Centenary Public School, Mandi Dabwali was known to be a Premier Educational Institute in District Sirsa in the State of Haryana. The school was amongst six hundred and fifty other colleges and institutions under the management of DAV College M