'Gen Alpha': Students take to streets seeking basic amenities at UP school, officials assure action

Safe drinking water, functional fans, clean toilets, library; armed with a lengthy charter of demands, hundreds of students at a school in Fatehpur of Uttar Pradesh, staged a five-hour demonstration -- to which the administration succumbed and said yes.

Inspiration or imitation? The protest at the Sarvodaya Inter College in Kishanpur on Tuesday could be either. Coming days after the Cockroach Janta Party-spearheaded stir over the NEET paper leak galvanised lakhs of students, videos of the protest at the Kishanpur school quickly went viral -- with some calling the school students 'Gen Alpha'.

Vibrant placards and portraits of Dr B R Ambedkar held high in the backdrop of the waving Tricolour as students protested against poor school infrastructure, invoked images from the recent nationwide protests over alleged paper leaks.

The protesting students alleged lack of basic facilities at the institution. The fervent agitation brought the authorities to their toes who assured protesters that corrective measures would begin within 24 hours.

The protest began soon after the school gates opened at 7 am, with students alleging that repeated complaints regarding poor infrastructure had gone unaddressed for months.

The students claimed the school lacked safe drinking water, clean toilets, reliable electricity, functional fans, adequate furniture, a computer lab, library and sports facilities.

They also alleged that some ceiling fans were unsafe and had caused electric shocks to students.

Protesters further accused the administration of collecting unauthorised money during admissions and demanding payments for issuing marksheets and other documents.

They warned that the agitation would continue if their demands were not addressed.

The protest, involving students from Classes 6 to 12, disrupted activities at the institution.

Principal Lal Bahadur Singh and Station House Officer (Kishanpur) Manish Singh initially tried to persuade the students to end the agitation, but they remained firm on their demands.

The protest ended around noon after District Inspector of Schools (DIOS) Rakesh Kumar reached the campus, held talks with the students and gave written assurance that work on the pending issues would begin within 24 hours.

The school was subsequently closed for the day.

Principal Lal Bahadur Singh said the administration would make efforts to improve facilities within the available resources.

"We do not have sufficient funds to provide all the facilities immediately," he told reporters.

DIOS Rakesh Kumar said arrangements for safe drinking water, seating, clean toilets, regular sanitation, a computer laboratory, library and sports facilities would be initiated without delay.

He said allegations of unauthorised fee collection would be investigated and appropriate action will be taken if any irregularities were found.

Kumar said one of the students' demands -- introduction of science classes -- could not be met immediately as the institution lacked the mandatory recognition and laboratory facilities required to offer the stream. "Science classes cannot be started without the necessary recognition and laboratory infrastructure."