Nuapada Student Dies During Children’s Day Celebration; Three Teachers Suspended

Nuapada district witnessed a tragic incident on Children’s Day when a second‑grade student collapsed while playing at Dharamsagar Government Upper Primary School in Komna block.

The boy, son of Jadumani and Bhanumati Sabar, was rushed to Komna Community Health Centre, where doctors declared him dead.

Following the incident, Komna police registered a case and conducted a post‑mortem before handing over the body to the family. District education authorities immediately ordered an inquiry.

Officials, including the Block Education Officer (BEO), Additional BEO, Cluster Resource Centre Coordinator (CRCC), and District Education Officer (DEO), visited the school.

Acting on the Collector’s directive, DEO Prashant Kumar Mahant suspended three teachers — Headmistress Bonita Harpal, Kalyani Majhi, and Muralimohan Majhi — citing negligence.

Show‑cause notices were also issued to assistant teachers Ahalya Sabar, Dagareswar Sahu, and Meenakshi Panda.

The incident sparked outrage among parents and villagers, who locked the school and staged a dharna demanding compensation for the bereaved family and suspension of all teachers. Local leaders and students joined the protest.

Authorities, including the Additional Tahasildar and police, later persuaded the protesters to withdraw.

This tragedy has raised serious questions about safety and supervision in schools across Odisha, prompting calls for stricter accountability measures.