Student Protest in Bhopal School Leads to Administrator's Removal

Students of the Government Sarojini Naidu Girls Higher Secondary School in Bhopal protested harsh punishments by damaging school property, leading to the removal of the woman administrator. They claimed excessive punishments for minor tardiness and poor facility conditions. An official inquiry is underway.

Students of a government-run higher secondary school for girls in Bhopal on Wednesday engaged in a protest, damaging furniture and school property. The cause of their unrest was alleged harsh punishment by the school's woman administrator, resulting in her removal by authorities.

Viral videos captured students wreaking havoc in the Government Sarojini Naidu Girls Higher Secondary School. They were seen breaking classroom furniture, pulling ceiling fan blades, and smashing doors and windows, bringing the incident to widespread public attention.

The District Education Officer (DEO), NK Ahirwar, verified the situation, noting that the school is managed by the State Open School. Former armed forces captain Varsha Jha, who was in charge of administration, was dismissed from her position following the tumult.

Students accused the administration of meting out disproportionate punishment for being 10-15 minutes late, leading to instances where some students felt sick from the heat after being made to stand in the sun. They also expressed grievances over the poor condition of the school's washrooms and inadequate water supply.

Attempting to calm the situation, Congress MLA from Bhopal Madhya constituency stepped in, while former Union minister Arun Yadav highlighted deficiencies in school conditions and excessive punishments on social media.

An official inquiry is ongoing to investigate allegations of mistreatment and poor facilities. The DEO assured that actions would be taken based on the findings of the inquiry.

(With inputs from agencies.)