Kendrapara: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has ensured the payment of Rs 1 lakh each as compensation to two minor schoolgirls, who gave birth in their school hostels.
Acting on two different petitions filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC had sought the response of the state authorities and had also monitored the case.
Two schoolgirls staying in government-run hostels gave birth within a fortnight in Odisha in 2015.
A Class VI student of Umuri Ashram (state-run residential school for SC and ST students) in Koraput district gave birth to a boy February 4, 2015. This came 12 days after a Class X student of another similar school in Kandhamal district gave birth to a boy.
The father of the Umuri Ashram School 12-year-old girl’s baby was a labourer. On the night of February 4, 2015, the girl ran to the woman cook-cum-attendant’s room inside the hostel due to labour pain and gave birth to a boy, Tripathy said.
The Class X girl of Kandhamal too gave birth in her hostel. The student of Lingagad High School in G Udayagiri Police limits in Kandhamal district gave birth to a boy.
The incident raised questions as to how nine lady teachers and a health worker in the school could not detect the physical changes in the minor student during pregnancy, Tripathy said.
The two incidents exposed the schools set up to ensure the welfare of SC, ST communities. The larger issue, however, is lack of awareness among teachers to deal with such situations. Most of them are unaware that in such cases they should immediately inform the police and provide medical care to the girls.
By not providing training to ensure the safety of students, the Odisha government is endangering the lives of SC, ST girl students, the petitioner contended before the NHRC.
The failure of government officials, especially the Secretary-In-Charge of SC and ST Development and the Secretary of the School and Mass Education in ensuring the basic rights of schoolgirls amounts to violation of human rights, Tripathy said.
He had earlier requested the NHRC to get the case investigated by a team of experts and to direct the state to rehabilitate the girls and their children and ensure proper medical care and compensation for them.
He also wanted a direction to the state to ensure full protection of the basic human rights of SC, ST girl students to prevent such incidents in future.
The state authorities submitted that both the survivors were paid compensation, and that the grievances mentioned in the petition were acted upon.
PNN
