FM College tragedy: Odisha govt issues strict compliance order on women's safety in educational institutions

Amid statewide outrage over the death of a girl student who attempted self-immolation outside the principal’s chamber of Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore, the Odisha government has issued a sweeping directive to all educational institutions, mandating strict adherence to women’s safety norms and anti-harassment protocols.

The School and Mass Education (SME) Department, through a letter dated July 16, directed all district education officials and heads of institutions to urgently review the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, and ensure timely constitution or reconstitution of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) across eligible establishments.

The circular, signed by the Commissioner-cum-Secretary to Government, stressed that all educational workplaces and hostels under state jurisdiction must display emergency helpline numbers prominently as a non-negotiable compliance measure. “Any deviation from this will be viewed seriously,” the notification warned.

Additionally, the order reiterated the compulsory integration of the BARNALI (Gender Equity Programme) with the Social Studies curriculum in all elementary and secondary schools. The programme aims to instil positive gender attitudes among students, parents, and teachers while addressing the root causes of gender-based violence.

Tragedy Sparks Administrative Action

The move comes in the immediate aftermath of the death of a girl student, who had set herself on fire on July 12, after alleging prolonged sexual harassment by the Head of the Education Department, Sameer Ranjan Sahoo, and negligence by the college administration.

She died on July 15 at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, having sustained over 90% burn injuries that affected multiple vital organs.

The student’s family and fellow students claimed she was pressured to withdraw her harassment complaint, with threats of expulsion and academic retaliation, including being assigned six years of backlog. The internal committee set up to investigate her earlier complaints was accused of shielding the accused.

The incident has triggered a major political storm. Opposition BJD staged separate demonstrations in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, accusing the government of failing to protect students, particularly women, on campuses.

Meanwhile, the Odisha Congress, along with seven other opposition parties,s continued widespread disruptions on Thursday with the ongoing 12-hour Odisha bandh.