New Delhi, May 12 -- Flagging "grave lapses" in its responsibility to protect students, the Delhi government has issued a show-cause notice to a private school in west Delhi after a staffer allegedly rapea three-year-old girl student on its premises during school hours.

In the notice, issued on May 8, the directorate of education (DoE) said the incident reflected "grave lapses on the part of the school administration, supervisory staff, and management in discharging their statutory and moral responsibilities towards protection of children".

The school has been directed to explain why action, including withdrawal of recognition, takeover of management under the Delhi School Education Act and cancellation of land allotment, should not be ...