Even as the Odisha State Human Rights Commission (OSHRC) has directed the School and Mass Education Department Principal Secretary to submit a report on infrastructure and amenities in the Government primary and upper primary schools by February 16, 2018, the latter has not responded yet.
Human Rights Watch secretary Sangita Swain, on the basis of a report published on The Pioneer on September 16, 2016, had petitioned to the NHRC that out of the 51,946 Government primary and upper primary schools functioning under the department, a whopping number of 45,409 schools have no teacher for each class. Swain had urged the NHRC to direct the State Government to appoint adequate teachers and provide required infrastructure at the earliest.
later, the NHRC transferred the case to the OSHRC for conducting hearings. Subsequently, the commission asked the School and Mass Education Secretary to submit a report by February 16. However, the Secretary has not responded yet.