Sambalpur: Allegations of Malpractice Arise During Admission Procedures at Budharaja High School

Sambalpur: Allegations of misbehavior have come to light during the enrollment process in the district collector’s office in Sambalpur. A case came to light, a disabled student and his elder sister, who along with their mother Brundabati Deep, went to enroll in Class 9 at Budharaja High School. Despite the elder sister scoring an impressive 92% in Class 8 and the disabled younger sister 73%, they were mistreated and told they could not be enrolled.

Brundabati, a widow raising her four daughters alone after the death of her husband less than seven years ago, is disappointed with the treatment they receive. With no male figure in the household, Brundabati tried to enroll her daughters in Budharaja High School because it was close to their home. She explained that her younger daughter has to take care of her disabled elder sister, hence their desire to be in the same class.

Efforts to enroll them were postponed to April 3, only to be informed on Wednesday that there were no seats. Additionally, Brundabati claimed that they were harassed throughout the interaction. The Sambalpur district collector has received complaints from a few other students as well.

In response, Hari Narayana Panda, a teacher of Budharaja High School, said that students will be called for enrollment later. This situation highlights the challenges students with disabilities and their families face in accessing education and the need for a fair and equitable enrollment process.