An incident in Maharashtra has sparked intense debate over harsh punishment in schools after an 11-year-old student, Anshika Gaud, passed away in a Mumbai hospital.
The Class 6 student, who was enrolled in a private school in Palghar’s Sativali area, died nearly a week after she was allegedly forced to perform 100 sit-ups as punishment for her late arrival on November 8, 2025.
The Harsh Punishment
According to reports, Anshika and four other students had been given the harsh punishment by one of the teachers for coming late.
To add to the severity of the exercise, the students were reportedly made to carry their school bags on their backs while performing the sit-ups.
According to Anshika’s mother, the severity of this punishment caused intense pain in the girl’s neck and back on the spot, and her health deteriorated rapidly over the next days.
The outrage was escalated by local political leaders from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, or MNS, as they stated the punishment was meted out despite the girl having previous health conditions.
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Official Inquiry Launched
The incident has drawn immediate attention from the education authorities. Block Education Officer Pandurang Galange confirmed that the authorities have initiated a formal inquiry to ascertain the exact cause of Anshika’s death and establish all the facts of the punishment incident.
A teacher from the school somewhat disagreed, claiming it was not known exactly how many sit-ups she actually performed, nor if the punishment was in fact directly responsible for her death.
No police complaint had been filed as of the original reports, despite the severity of the allegations and resultant outcry.
Raising Concerns About Safety The tragedy has sparked widespread outrage among parents and community leaders, bringing forth demands for ensuring student safety and an end to corporal punishment in schools.
Anshika’s mother recalled how she confronted the teacher responsible, who reportedly justified the action, saying it was necessary to make the students behave well and also for maintaining teaching standards. However, this has done little to douse the public outrage over the death of the young girl.
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