Class 6 Girl Dies After Alleged Punishment At Palghar School

The news that has emerged from Palghar, Maharashtra, is a story of profound and irreversible loss. A Class 6 student, just a young girl with her whole life ahead of her, has died. This in itself is a tragedy. What makes it devastating is the claim from her heartbroken family: she died days after allegedly being subjected to an extreme physical punishment at her school. The alleged punishment was a hundred sit ups, or uthak-baithak, given for the simple fault of being late.

​Her name was Anshika Gaud. She was a student at a private school in the Vasai area. The incident is said to have occurred on November 8, when she and several other students were allegedly made to perform the sit ups. The family’s accusation is specific and shocking: the teacher allegedly made the girls do the strenuous exercise with their heavy school bags still strapped to their backs.

​Anshika’s condition, her mother says, deteriorated rapidly after that day. She complained of severe, crippling pain in her neck and back. She struggled to get up. For a child’s body to react this way is a clear sign that the punishment was far more than a simple correction. It was a severe physical ordeal. Her life ended on a Friday night at a Mumbai hospital, nearly a week after the alleged incident. Now, an inquiry is underway by the Block Education Officer to determine the exact cause of her death. But for her family, the link between the punishment and their daughter's death is clear, painful, and non-negotiable.

​The Teacher’s Justification: A Broken System

​When Anshika’s mother confronted the teacher about her daughter’s deteriorating health, the alleged response speaks volumes about the pressures and attitudes within our education system. The teacher, according to the mother, justified the punishment by saying students are disciplined because parents often accuse teachers of not teaching despite taking fees.

​This defense, if true, does not excuse the action, but it reveals a deep sickness in the relationship between schools, teachers, and parents. It suggests that teachers feel they must resort to harsh, physical methods to show they are in charge, to prove they are ‘doing their job’ by enforcing strict compliance. It turns discipline into a performance of power rather than an act of guidance.

​Punishing a child to appease parents who demand results is a horrifying thought. It means the child becomes a sacrificial lamb in a warped economic and social equation. It means the focus shifts entirely away from the child’s well being, health, and their right to a safe learning environment. A school’s contract with a parent is to educate and protect the child. It is not to inflict physical pain.

​When Discipline Crosses the Line into Abuse

​The act of forcing a child to perform 100 sit ups, especially with a heavy bag, is not discipline. It is corporal punishment. India has laws and guidelines, including those under the Right to Education Act, that explicitly prohibit corporal punishment. This is because we know that physical punishment, regardless of the form it takes, is harmful.

​We must understand what happens when a school uses this kind of method:

​1. Physical Danger: A child’s body is still growing. Excessive, forced exercise can strain muscles, injure the spine, and potentially trigger or worsen any pre-existing health issues. Reports suggest Anshika may have had prior health concerns, which makes the alleged punishment even more reckless and negligent.

​2. Psychological Damage: Even if a child does not suffer a visible physical injury, they are taught a terrible lesson: that authority figures can use pain and humiliation to control them. This breeds a fear of school, of teachers, and of learning itself. It can lead to anxiety and a lifelong aversion to education. School should be a happy, safe space. When it is not, a fundamental trust is broken.

​3. It Does Not Teach: Discipline is meant to teach a student the value of a rule and the consequences of breaking it. Forgetting to do homework leads to making it up during free time. Being late leads to missing out on the first part of class. These are related, logical consequences. Being late does not logically lead to a hundred sit ups. The punishment is arbitrary, excessive, and only teaches the student to fear the teacher, not respect the clock.

​A Call for Systemic Change: Beyond Punishment

​The inquiry will deliver its report. It will establish facts, and if negligence is found, accountability must follow. But this is not enough. The Palghar tragedy must force every school and every education board in the country to look at its own rules and the training given to its teachers.

​1. Re-educate the Educators

​We need mandatory, refresher training for every teacher on Positive Discipline strategies. These methods focus on communication, empathy, and working with the student to solve problems. Instead of forcing sit ups, a teacher should ask: "Why were you late today? How can we make sure this doesn’t happen tomorrow? Can we work together to set a plan?" This is a constructive, human-centered approach.

​2. Clearer Reporting and Oversight

​There must be a clear, non-intimidating way for students and parents to report incidents of corporal punishment without fear that the child will face further retaliation. Every school needs an independent oversight committee or a dedicated counsellor who is the first point of contact for complaints. When a serious complaint is made, the teacher involved must be immediately taken off classroom duty pending a full investigation. This is the only way to protect other children.

​3. A Focus on Health and Safety First

​A child’s physical and mental health must be the absolute top priority. Every child, including those with pre-existing conditions, must be treated with care and caution. Teachers are not medical professionals and should never use physical exertion as a punishment. The risk is simply too high.

​The Debt We Owe Anshika

​Anshika Gaud was just twelve years old. She was a Class 6 student. Her potential, her dreams, and her future have been tragically cut short. While her family fights for justice, we, as a society, must commit to making sure her death was not in vain.

​We owe it to Anshika and every child in India to guarantee them a school experience that is built on encouragement, respect, and safety. We must actively root out the toxic, counterproductive culture of fear and physical punishment that still exists in far too many institutions. The gate of a school should be a welcoming threshold to knowledge, not a place where a child fears for their body or their life.

​Let the final findings of the Palghar inquiry be a catalyst for a national conversation, a national commitment, and a national change. Let us move beyond the tired, damaging idea that to discipline is to punish, and embrace the truth that to educate is to empower with kindness and wisdom. Only then can we ensure that no other child has to pay the ultimate price for being late to class.