Haryana girls end hunger strike after getting school upgraded

Rewari (Haryana), May 17 (IANS) A group of girl students, who were on a hunger strike for a week to demand upgradation of the government school in their village to Class 12, ended their fast on Wednesday after the Haryana government acceded to their demand.

The girls wanted the school at Gothra Tappa Dahina upgraded from Class 10 to Class 12 as they were sexually harassed by passerby on the way to the school in the neighbouring village, three km away.

However, Rewari's Superintendent of Police Sangeeta Kalia said that not even a single incident of molestation has been reported in the past one year.

The school at Gothra Tappa Dahina has 70 students in both classes. As per norms, a high school must have at least 150 students in Classes 9 and 10 to be upgraded to Class 12 but the state government has given the rules the go-by in this case.

"Sanction of the Governor of Haryana is hereby accorded to upgrade the Government High School Gothra Tappa Dahina (Rewari) to the level of Government Senior Secondary School w.e.f. session 2017-18. SNE will be conveyed in due course," read a notification issued by the Additional Chief Secretary, School Education.

Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said that a principal has been appointed for the school and admissions will start for the 2017-18 session on Thursday.