Orissa High Court concern over suicide bids by schoolgirls

In the backdrop of back-to-back suicide attempts made by two schoolgirls in Odisha allegedly due to their inability to pay school fees and purchase stationery, the High Court today has issued a notice to the state government.
In July, a 13-year-old girl in Ganjam district had attempted suicide for being unable to purchase pencil and notebook and then another girl in Nabarangpur did the same and is now undergoing treatment sustaining over 90 percent burn injuries.
Both the matters have come under the scrutiny of the High Court after social activist and advocate Prabir Kumar Das approached the Court in two separate PILs. In both the writ petitions, Das has urged the High Court to direct the state government not to collect any fees from the SC and ST and BPL students up to the age of 14 years as per the provisions of Sarva Sikshya Abhijan (SSA).

Acting upon the PIL pertaining to Nabarangpur girl, a division bench of acting Chief Justice Pradip K. Mohanty and Justice Biswajit Mohanty directed the government counsel to inform the court by Wednesday about the nature of treatment and benefits being provided to the victim Kanakdei Bhatra of Nabarangpur.
The tribal girl studying in Class X had allegedly made a self-immolation bid on July 24 when her parents failed to arrange Rs 200 for her school and examination fees.