NCST Demands Urgent Report on Rising School Dropouts Among SC/ST Students in Jajpur

Critical Situation of School Dropouts in Jajpur

Jajpur: The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has requested a report on the concerning dropout rates among SC/ST students in Jajpur's industrial and mining regions, particularly in Sukinda and Danagadi blocks. This request follows a formal complaint lodged by social activist Mantu Das on September 7 of the previous year.

In response to the complaint, NCST Director P Kalyan Reddy issued a directive on April 5, mandating the Principal Secretary of the ST/SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department, the Commissioner of School and Mass Education, and the Jajpur Collector to provide a factual report within 30 days of receiving the communication.

The NCST cautioned that non-compliance could lead to summons for the relevant officials. Recent data from the Tata Steel Foundation (TSF) indicates that between 2015 and 2024, 56,166 students dropped out in the mining and industrial areas of Sukinda and Danagadi. This data was gathered from 331 government schools across 462 villages within 48 gram panchayats. The TSF has since worked to rehabilitate these dropout students.

Additionally, the January 2024 Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) report from the Samagra Shiksha division of Jajpur noted 13,010 dropout students. Despite various initiatives from the Education department aimed at reintegrating these children into formal education, the results have been largely disappointing. Many of these dropouts, primarily from SC/ST communities, have resorted to low-paying jobs in liquor shops, agriculture, hotels, contract labor, and garages, which negatively affects their physical and mental health.

Mantu Das previously filed a public interest litigation (PIL, No. 1729/2023) in the Orissa High Court, highlighting that these children are being deprived of their fundamental rights to education, proper nutrition, and healthcare. The High Court instructed the Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights to investigate and ensure the rehabilitation of the affected children on January 24, 2023. However, more than two years later, there has been little progress. Allegations have emerged that the Education department's shortcomings are pushing these children to seek job placements through TSF’s rehabilitation programs.

Despite an investment exceeding Rs 168.64 crore to enhance 249 high schools in the district, with a second phase of improvements currently in progress, dropout rates remain unchanged, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the Education department's strategies. Furthermore, it is alleged that many ST/SC children are not covered under the Right to Education Act, 2009. In his complaint, Mantu Das provided a list of 22 dropout students, noting that four underage girls have already married and given birth. Given the sensitivity and scale of this issue, the NCST is treating the matter with urgency and has instructed the relevant authorities to submit a comprehensive action-taken report.