24 minor girls in Odisha school hostels became pregnant in last two years, Assembly told

As many as 24 minor girls residing in school hostels operating under the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste Development Department of Odisha have become pregnant in the past two years, the Odisha Legislative Assembly was informed on Friday (September 25, 2026).

In response to a query by Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, ST & SC Development Minister Nityananda Gond said 15 girls were found to be pregnant in schools under his department during the 2025-26 academic year, while nine such instances were reported during 2024-25.

He said those responsible were identified as either from the victims’ neighbourhoods or outsiders, and not from the same school. However, a study titled ‘Impact of Preventive Intervention on Incidences of Sexual Abuse in Residential Schools of Odisha’ conducted by the government-run Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Research and Training Institute (SCSTRTI), reviewed 29 cases of sexual abuse between 2011 and 2016 in five districts: Koraput, Balasore, Nayagarh, Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh. The study identified 13 headmasters and four teachers as responsible for the pregnancies.

Of the 15 pregnancies reported in 2025-26, Kandhamal district had the highest number with five, Mr. Gond said.

He said FIRs were lodged against all the accused.

“This is a serious concern. Child pregnancies have been reported in hostels of residential schools functioning under the ST & SC Department for more than two decades, yet the government has failed to take suitable measures to prevent such heinous crimes,” said Anil Pradhan, convenor of the Odisha Right to Education Forum.

Though the government has put in place exhaustive guidelines for teachers, non-teaching staff and hostel matrons for preventing sexual assault on girls in hostels, such incidents keep recurring. It is a blot on the system, said Mr. Pradhan.