Two Standard X girls found to be pregnant in Odisha’s Kandhamal 

 Kandhamal district administration in Odisha on Friday (July 25, 2025) filed a police complaint after two girls studying in Standard X were found to have tested positive for pregnancy.

“We have informed police about pregnancy of two girls. In the complaint we have requested police to investigate into the matter,” said Rabi Narayan Mishra, District Welfare Officer of Kandhamal.

As per practice, grown up girls in residential schools run by the State government undergo medical tests soon after they return from long vacation.

“Our employees found two girls having unusual symptom. Subsequently, they were sent to sub-divisional hospital where their pregnancy was confirmed,” said Mr. Mishra.

This year the schools reopened on June 21 after summer vacation. However, the two girls returned to school in the first week of July.

The ST & SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department has acknowledged that 22 tribal girl students were subjected to sexual assault, with 34 individuals accused of these crimes— within just 188 residential schools meant exclusively for tribal girls. Disturbingly, 12 of the victims were found to have given birth between 2018 and 2023.

These 188 schools collectively enroll 62,385 girls. Overall, the department runs 1,737 residential schools across the State, educating a total of 4,26,903 students, the vast majority of whom belong to tribal communities.

In 2018, the government-run Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI) conducted a study titled ‘Impact of Preventive Intervention on Incidences of Sexual Abuse in Residential Schools of Odisha.’ The study reviewed several incidents of sexual violence reported from residential schools and found that, in most cases, the allegations were substantiated.

Specifically, researchers analyzed 29 cases of sexual abuse reported between 2011 and 2016 across five districts— Koraput, Balasore, Nayagarh, Mayurbhanj, and Sundargarh. Alarmingly, 13 headmasters and four teachers were identified as the accused in these cases.

After it was found that some teaching and non-teaching staff were involved in the abuse, the government introduced guidelines to closely monitor the health of girl students. Post-vacation health check-ups were mandated to determine whether any pregnancies had occurred during their stay at home, rather than in the residential schools.