The death of B.Ed student Soumyashree Bisi from Fakir Mohan College in Balasore has triggered nationwide anguish, prompting Congress MP Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka to raise an Adjournment Motion in Parliament on Monday, seeking accountability and institutional overhaul across India’s higher education system.
According to reports, Soumyashree allegedly died by suicide after setting herself on fire in protest against sustained mental and sexual harassment by the Head of Department. The lack of an effective grievance redressal mechanism reportedly exacerbated her distress, with mounting accusations of administrative negligence and systemic silence.
MP Ulaka, representing Koraput, condemned the incident as “a grave failure of institutional duty and justice,” urging the Centre to initiate comprehensive reforms to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies. “This is not an isolated case,” he said during his speech. “It reflects a wider collapse of student safety systems and POSH compliance in educational institutions.”
Through his motion, Ulaka demanded immediate action, including:
- A time-bound supervised investigation into the incident
- Suspension of negligent officials pending inquiry
- Implementation of safety audits across educational institutions
- Constitution of Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) as mandated under the POSH Act
- Creation of a digital 24×7 complaint and tracking system
- Provision of trauma counselling for students and the victim’s family
- Fast-track trials with strict monitoring and defined timelines
The incident has ignited protests and demands for stricter implementation of harassment redressal frameworks, mental health support, and transparent inquiry procedures across campuses.
