Newsroom, November 17, 2025: A 6-year-old girl in Vasai, Maharashtra, lost her life after her teacher made her do 100 sit-ups with a heavy school bag as punishment for arriving 10 minutes late to class, an incident that unfolded a week before Children's Day and has ignited outrage over harsh discipline in schools.
Kajal Gaud, a first-grader, returned home utterly drained, her condition rapidly worsening, leading to hospitalisation, where she passed away despite efforts to stabilise her.
The school's actions, intended to instil punctuality, instead exposed the dangers of physical penalties on young children, prompting parents and locals to demand the teacher's removal and a full inquiry into the facility's safety standards.
The tragedy highlights a pattern of extreme measures in Indian classrooms, where over 1,000 such cases are reported yearly, often unchecked.
