MP News: Bhopal government school girls go crazy over harsh punishment

Students of a government secondary school in Bhopal created a ruckus on Wednesday to protest against the harsh punishment imposed by the principal.

Videos that have gone viral show hundreds of protesting students destroying furniture in classrooms, ripping off ceiling fan blades, smashing electronic gadgets and breaking windows and door glass.

The incident took place at Sarojini Naidu Government Girls’ Secondary School in Bhopal.

According to students, if they were even 10 to 15 minutes late, they were subjected to harsh punishments, such as having grass pulled off the ground, being forced to clean toilets, and having to stand in the sun.

“Just because we were 10-15 minutes late, the school administration forced us to remove the grass from the ground and made us stand in the sun,” one of the students said in a video that went viral.

Some students fainted due to the harsh punishment, she added.

The students also raised the issue of poor condition of bathrooms and inadequate water supply in a government school in Madhya Pradesh.

As a result of the unrest, the authorities removed a female administrator, former armed forces captain Varsha Jha, from her post.

Jha was appointed just a month ago. She reportedly apologized to students.

According to local media reports, students are also unhappy with the school hours. They say classes end at 6 p.m., making life difficult for many girls who live far away.

The Director of the Education Department of the Government of Madhya Pradesh also visited the school to assess the situation.

An investigation was ordered to investigate allegations including ill-treatment and the poor condition of school facilities.

Responding to allegations of students being forced to clean toilets, District Education Officer (DEO) NK Ahirwar said appropriate action would be taken after an inquiry.

The girls were angry because the administration had imposed a fine on them for being 10-15 minutes late and decided to protest, he said.

“After listening to the students, it seems that Varsha Jha’s behaviour towards them was not good. It seems she treated them very harshly,” he said.