BHUBANESWAR: The government on Friday informed the Assembly that 26 SC and ST students have died in state-run hostels of residential schools in the last eight months.
In a written reply to a question from Ranendra Pratap Swain (BJD), minister for ST and SC Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Nityananda Gond said six of them died by suicide in hostels while the remaining died in various hospitals while undergoing treatment.
The minister said the deaths were reported in 14 districts with the highest of seven reported from Rayagada, followed by three each in Koraput and Malkangiri. While Sundargarh and Bargarh accounted for two such deaths since July 1, 2024, one case each was reported from Balangir, Ganjam, Jharsuguda, Kandhamal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Nuapada and Sonepur, he said.
Replying to another question, he said that 1,762 schools are functioning under the department and around 90 per cent of the students enrolled are from ST category. As many as 5,841 hostels are functioning under the department, providing residential education to ST children. While 90 per cent of the five lakh students staying in these hostels are STs and 10 per cent are SCs, he added.