Villagers lock school over Shishu Sevika selection row in Odisha, students forced to study on roadside

Alleging irregularities in the selection of a child care worker (Shishu Sevika), villagers in Odisha locked a government primary school, forcing students to sit and study by the roadside. The incident has been reported from Purla village under Jharigaon block of Nabarangpur district.

According to sources, a notification was issued in December 2024 for the recruitment of a Shishu Sevika for the Shishu Vatika. As many as seven candidates from the village had applied for the post. However, instead of selecting any of them, a young woman from outside the village was appointed to the position.

Protesting against the alleged irregularities in the selection process, aggrieved villagers reportedly locked the school on the day, disrupting normal academic activities. As a result, students were seen attending classes while sitting by the roadside.

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"The appointment of the Shishu Sevika in our village primary school has not been given to a candidate from our village. Instead, an outsider has been appointed. As a result, the children are currently studying outside the school premises. Until this matter is resolved, the school will remain locked," said Jaydev Bhatra, a villager.

"As the school remains locked due to a protest over allegations of corruption in the appointment of a Shishu Sevika, I am conducting classes for the students outside the school premises. If the school gate had been opened, we could have continued the teaching activities properly inside the campus," said Tularam Bhatra, headmaster of the school.