Taking swift cognisance of reports published in the Odia daily Pragativadi, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has intervened in the alarming state of affairs at the Lakhana Primary School located in the Komna block of Nuapada district.
The rights body has directed the Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Odisha School and Mass Education Department and the Nuapada District Collector to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit an action-taken report within four weeks. The case (File No. 899/18/30/2026) was registered following a formal complaint filed by Manoj Jena, Chairman of Human Rights Front India, on September 1, 2026.
Severe Infrastructure Deficits and Safety Hazards
According to the petition, the century-old school—catering to 96 students from pre-primary to Class VI—is grappling with profound structural neglect. Despite hosting multiple classes, the institution operates out of heavily compromised spaces featuring crumbling walls and leaking roofs during monsoons, posing severe daily threats to student safety.
Compounding the infrastructural decay is an acute shortage of educators. The school currently functions with only a headmaster, Ram Majhi, and a child-care worker, Tikeshwari Bariha, leaving a deficit of at least four teachers. Although local residents and school management have repeatedly appealed to educational authorities and local representatives for a permanent fix, no effective remedy has been provided until now.
Violation of Fundamental Rights
Treating the matter as a grave infringement on children’s fundamental rights to education and personal safety under Articles 21 and 21(A) of the Indian Constitution, the NHRC underscored the state’s accountability. Local stakeholders and villagers have expressed optimism that the commission’s high-level intervention will finally pave the way for a long-overdue overhaul of the school’s infrastructure and staffing crises.
