Odisha Class 10 Student Gives Birth

Bhubaneswar: In an appalling incident, a Class 10 student from Jajpur district in Odisha gave birth to a baby girl, officials confirmed on Thursday. The young girl experienced severe abdominal pain at her home on Wednesday, prompting her family to rush her to the Bari hospital. According to A.K. Sharma, the Additional District Medical Officer (ADMO) of Jajpur, she delivered the baby at a government hospital in Bari block.

Due to health concerns, the newborn was admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (ICU), and both mother and child were later transferred to the District Headquarters Hospital in Jajpur for further care.

Niranjan Kar, the District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) of Jajpur, revealed that the student had already appeared for two papers of her matriculation examination and was scheduled to take the mathematics paper on Thursday.

This incident follows a similar case earlier in the week in Chitrakonda, Malkangiri district, where another Class 10 student gave birth to a baby girl inside the hostel of a residential girls’ high school run by the scheduled tribe and scheduled caste development department. She was also in the middle of her matriculation exams.

In that case, the main accused, identified as Sushant Khil from Disariguda, was arrested by Chitrakonda police. The incident prompted an investigation led by the Revenue Divisional Commissioner (RDC), resulting in the suspension of the school’s headmaster, the hostel matron, and the Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM).

“These incidents have sparked concern and raised questions about student safety and welfare in Odisha's residential schools. There is a mandatory provision requiring the hostel warden and matron, with the assistance of a trained health official, to conduct weekly health checkups. However, it seems that these officials are failing to carry out their responsibilities diligently,” said Banaja Routray, principal of a Little Blossoms School, Bhubaneswar.