Odisha: Over 100 tribal students on night-long protest march

Over 100 tribal students of a state-run residential school in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district walked the whole night to reach the district headquarters town of Baripada to protest the "inhumane" conditions in which they were living.

The students of classes 8 and 9 of the Basipitha Government High School, run by the ST & SC development, minorities & backward class welfare department, reached Baripada town, around 20 km away, in the morning.

District collector Hema Kanta Ray immediately met them after coming to know about the protest.

The students alleged that they were being served poor quality food in their hostel, and teachers were physically assaulting them in school. The DC went to the school and enquired into the allegations levelled by the students.

Additional district magistrate (ADM) Netrananda Mallick said the students' demands were genuine and appropriate measures would be taken to address them. The district administration later arranged a bus for the return journey of the students.