More than 90 girls from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in Pakke Kessang district, Arunachal Pradesh, undertook a 65 km overnight protest march on 14 September 2025 to demand subject teachers, specifically for Geography and Political Science, after prolonged vacancies disrupted their education.
The protest, led by students from Classes 11 and 12, drew state and national attention, sparking urgent calls for empathetic reform rather than discipline and triggering official and civil society interventions.
The Education Department suspended headmistress Nyayir Riba and hostel warden Tummi Chisi of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Nangnyo, citing grave mismanagement and failure to report student grievances through proper channels following the 65 km protest march by schoolgirls.
A 65 km March to Spotlight Neglect
The unprecedented demonstration began late at night from Nyangno village and saw the girls, all in blue uniforms, marching through the night towards Lemmi, the district headquarters. Their placards powerfully stated, “A school without a teacher is just a building,” symbolising their plight.
The students, many on the cusp of their board exams, insisted persistent appeals to the school authority had gone unheard, leaving their futures in jeopardy. Upon arrival, they called directly on district authorities to appoint the missing subject teachers, igniting widespread support and debate across Arunachal Pradesh’s civil society.
Calls for Compassion and Response
The Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS) swiftly responded, voicing concern over the situation and urging the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (APSCPCR) to launch an independent inquiry into the protest’s root causes.
The APWWS specifically cautioned authorities against resorting to punitive measures like suspending the school’s headmistress or hostel warden, warning such steps might deepen mistrust and tension among students and staff. Instead, they advocated for an empathetic, informed approach focused on safeguarding the emotional and academic well-being of affected children.
Following the protest and public outcry, the suspended headmistress and hostel warden face allegations of grave mismanagement and failure to escalate the students’ grievances to higher authorities, raising serious concerns about the safety and well-being of the girls under their care.
This disciplinary action aims to instill accountability while highlighting the urgent need for improved administrative oversight in schools facing teacher shortages. Meanwhile, the APWWS has appealed for an independent inquiry and urged the Education Department to prioritise transparent staffing and grievance redressal, to safeguard students’ academic rights and emotional health.
Societal Demands for Systemic Reform
Beyond immediate responses, the APWWS and allied figures demanded the Education Department make filling vacant teaching posts an urgent priority. They emphasised that proper staff allocations and transparent grievance redressal mechanisms are essential to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
These reforms, they argued, are necessary not just for upholding students’ right to education, but for restoring public faith in the school system and supporting rural children whose voices too often go unheard in policy debates.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The determined action by these schoolgirls is a vivid reminder of the power and legitimacy of student voice. Systemic educational shortcomings must be met not with blame, but with reform rooted in compassion and dialogue. Only by prioritising students’ needs, timely appointments, and supportive complaint systems can we build a culture of trust and progress.
