Berhampur: The Kandhamal administration has issued a showcause notice to the headmaster of a high school in Nuagaon, run by the SC & ST development department, after a group of Class X students went to their examination centre on a tractor on the first day of HSC exam on Feb 19.Kandhamal collector Ved Bhushan said stringent action would be taken against those who facilitated the tractor ride. A separate inquiry is being conducted by the additional district welfare officer, sources said.
Preliminary probe revealed that around 30 students, including day scholars and hostel inmates, travelled nearly 5 km from the school to the exam centre on a tractor. A video of the students climbing onto the vehicle went viral on social media, triggering widespread concern over safety. Questions were also raised about the role of guide teachers, who were entrusted with escorting the students to the exam centre. Several locals have urged the administration to take action against those responsible. District welfare officer R N Mishra said the additional DWO is expected to submit his inquiry report on Friday, following which action will be taken against the teachers involved. From the second day of the exam, students either walked the 1.5-km distance or used safer modes of transport to reach the centre, officials said.The school’s headmaster could not be contacted for his comment.
