16/07/2025
A 20‑year‑old B.Ed student from Fakir Mohan Autonomous College in Balasore tragically died on July 14, 2025, after setting herself ablaze on campus in a desperate plea for justice.Â
She had repeatedly reported sexual harassment by her Head of Department since June 30, but no meaningful action was taken.Â
After filing both a social media appeal and a police complaint on July 1, she faced institutional inaction, prompting her to self-immolate near the principal’s office on July 12.Â
Despite transferring to AIIMS Bhubaneswar, she succumbed to 90–95% burn injuries after 60 hours of treatment.
The incident sparked immediate arrests of the professor and college principal, Odisha’s Chief Minister announced ₹20 lakh ex-gratia for the family, and the UGC formed a fact‑finding committee.
Mass protests, including a bandh, erupted outside the state Assembly, with citizens, students, and opposition parties decrying a “systematic failure” to protect women on campus . The student’s father has called it an “organised murder,” alleging a deliberate conspiracy by college authorities.
This heartbreaking tragedy highlights serious systemic gaps: the delay and bias in the Internal Complaints Committee, institutional apathy, and the urgent need for stricter protocols that ensure student safety, transparent redressal, and accountability in higher education.
[Odisha student tragedy, campus sexual harassment, self‑immolation protest, UGC inquiry, institutional accountability]Â
