Eight-Month Pregnant Minor Student at Malkangiri KGBV; Questions Raised Over School Authorities’ Negligence
By Krishna Pada Ray
Malkangiri, Nov. 4: A shocking incident involving a 17-year-old student of Sindrimal Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) in Malkangiri Sadar block, who is reportedly eight months pregnant, has triggered widespread concern and raised serious questions about the functioning of the school administration and the monitoring mechanism of the district Education Department.
According to information available, the matter came to the notice of the Health Department on October 28 during the registration of the student’s pregnancy. Preliminary reports suggest that the girl, despite being enrolled in a residential school, was staying at her village as a day-scholar.
The circumstances surrounding her change from a residential student to a day-scholar have raised several questions about the role and responsibility of the school authorities. Was the student remaining absent from school for an extended period? If so, why did the authorities allegedly fail to contact her parents or guardians or inform the higher officials concerned?
An attempt was made to contact the school principal for clarification, but the principal could not be reached. Subsequently, the school’s Cluster Resource Centre Coordinator (CRCC) was contacted, who reportedly expressed ignorance about the incident. The Block Education Officer (BEO), Malkangiri, also stated that he had no information regarding the matter.
The apparent lack of information among the concerned officials has further intensified concerns over the monitoring and reporting mechanisms governing residential schools. If such a serious incident can occur without the knowledge of the school administration or the higher authorities, questions naturally arise about the effectiveness of the existing student-safety and inspection systems.
A thorough examination of the school’s attendance records, hostel registers and documents relating to the student’s alleged change of status from a residential student to a day-scholar is essential to establish the sequence of events and determine whether there were any lapses on the part of the authorities.
