Bhubaneswar, September 15: A woman teacher in Mayurbhanj district has been suspended by the Odisha Education Department after she was found guilty of subjecting students to corporal punishment at a state-run upper primary school.

The incident took place at Khandadeula Government Upper Primary School, located within the Baisinga police station jurisdiction. Sukanti Kar, an assistant teacher, reportedly beat 31 students from classes 6 to 8 with a bamboo stick after they failed to touch her feet following the morning prayer session on Thursday. The tradition at the school requires students to show respect by touching the teacher's feet, but Kar arrived late and found the students had already left the prayer hall.

Frustrated by the situation, Kar allegedly punished the students physically. As a result, one boy suffered a fractured limb, and a girl lost consciousness, requiring immediate hospitalization. The school management committee, after conducting an inquiry, confirmed the injuries and the inappropriate actions of the teacher.

Following the investigation, Headmaster Purnachandra Ojha, Block Education Officer Biplab Kar, Cluster Resource Centre Coordinator Debashish Sahu, and other members of the school management committee took swift action, leading to Kar's suspension.

"The accused teacher has been suspended with immediate effect," said Biplab Kar, emphasizing that corporal punishment is strictly prohibited in all educational institutions across Odisha, a ban that has been in place since September 2004.