Students at a state-run residential school in Chhattisgarh's Surguja district decided they had waited long enough for their problems to be fixed, so more than 30 girls set out on foot early in the morning to reach the district collectorate in Ambikapur themselves. The girls study at the Eklavya Awasiya Vidyalaya in Shivpur. Midway through their walk, the administration got word of the march and sent a bus to bring them the rest of the way to the collectorate, where Collector Ajit Vasant met them in person.
Three main complaints laid out in writing
The students handed the collector a written complaint listing three core problems at their school. The most pressing was electricity, they said power supply at the school has been unreliable for close to a month, disrupting both classes and daily life in the hostel. The second complaint concerned academics, with the girls saying physics and chemistry classes were not being taught properly, hurting their exam preparation. The third complaint was about the mess, where they said hygiene was poor and the quality of food served was not up to the mark.
Anger over hostel conditions and the principal's conduct
Beyond academics and food, the students also voiced frustration over hostel arrangements and the principal's attitude toward their concerns. They alleged that they had raised these same issues before, but nothing had actually been fixed, which is what eventually pushed them to walk to the collector rather than wait any longer.
Collector Ajit Vasant promises quick action
After hearing the students out, Collector Ajit Vasant treated the complaints as serious and assured them that the electricity supply, teaching arrangements and cleanliness issues would be resolved on priority. He also said hostel arrangements would be reviewed and the necessary steps taken.
Former minister Amarjeet Bhagat also shows up
Word of the students' arrival at the collectorate spread quickly, and former minister Amarjeet Bhagat also reached the premises, where he met the girls and listened to their grievances. The episode is another reminder of how assertive today's young students, often described as Gen Alpha, have become about demanding basic facilities, choosing to confront the administration directly rather than stay silent.
