The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has ensured payment of compensation of Rs 1 lakh to two school students, who gave birth to two children in school hostels in Odisha.
Acting on two different petitions filed by Supreme Court lawyer and rights activist Radhakanta Tripathy, the NHRC sought response from the State authorities and monitored the case.
Two minor schoolgirls residing in Government-run hostels gave birth within a fortnight in the State. A Class VI student of Umuri Ashram School in Koraput district delivered a boy on February 4, 2015. The incident occurred 12 days after a Class X student of another residential school in Kandhamal district gave birth to a boy.
The father of the 12-year-old girl's of Umuri Ashram School, is a daily-wage labourer. On January 4 late night, the girl ran to the woman cook and attendant's room inside the hostel premises with labour pain and delivered a baby, Tripathy pointed out.
The Class X girl in Kandhamal too gave birth in her hostel. The student of Lingagad High School under the G Udayagiri police station in Kandhamal district also delivered a baby boy.
The incident has raised many eyebrows with questions being asked as to how the nine women teachers and a health worker working in the school were unable to mark bodily changes in the minor student during her pregnancy, Tripathy mentioned.
The two incidents have exposed how the schools meant for the welfare of the SC and ST community are being run in the State., the petitioner said.
The NHRC registered two cases on the petitions. The State authorities complying the direction of the NHRC in one petition have informed that both the victims have been paid due compensation and the grievances raised in the petition have been acted upon.