Class 10 student gives birth in hostel of state-run school in Odisha; Probe ordered

Sub-divisional Police Officer of Chitrakonda, Pradosh Pradhan, said that a case has been registered under several sections of the POCSO Act and BNS.

A 15-year-old student of a government-run residential school in Malkangiri district of Assam delivered a baby on Monday night, hours after she appeared for her Class 10th English paper, leading to separate probes by police and district administration.

Following an inquiry, the district administration suspended the headmaster of the institute and the hostel matron with immediate effect.

The accused has been identified by police, and are keeping a careful eye on his whereabouts. The investigation's inspector in charge (IIC), Mukund Melaka, stated that the culprit is from the same village as the girl and will be captured shortly, TOI reported.

Sub-divisional Police Officer of Chitrakonda, Pradosh Pradhan, said that a case has been registered under several sections of the POCSO Act and BNS.

According to her parents, they got a call from the hostel administration informing them that the girl was missing. As soon as they reached there, they found out that their daughter had a baby in her hand.

“We were taken aback by the news. There was no sign of pregnancy when I met my daughter earlier," the girl's father said. He sought stern action against those responsible for her pregnancy and accused the dormitory administration of incompetence.

"Parents are not allowed to meet their children in the hostel for a number of reasons. How did my child become pregnant without the school administration being aware of it? They have committed a serious error, and I expect justice," he continued.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, more than 1.58 lakh girl students study in the schools run by the state SC/ST department. Though 16 cases of pregnancies among the girl students in those schools were reported between 2010 and 2015, there were 5 cases between 2015 and 2022.

In 2023 and 2024, however, no cases were reported.

A 2021 audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General flagged poor hostel infrastructure—70% lacked boundary walls, and many had no security—potentially enabling such incidents. The department has introduced measures like hotline phones in hostels and regular health checks, but implementation varies.

Pregnancies among girl students in these schools have surfaced as a significant concern, often tied to sexual abuse, inadequate supervision, and socio-cultural vulnerabilities.