A tale of three protests, courtesy Madhya Pradesh’s Gen Alpha

In Madhya Pradesh, three separate protests by schoolchildren highlighted various issues affecting education. In Vidisha district, rising bus fares led to a student-led rally at Sironj bus stand. Private operators increased fares from Rs 10-15 to Rs 25, causing students to demand intervention from local MLA Umakant Sharma. The administration promised to revert to the previous fare structure.

In Ujjain, concerns over school closures due to a state order to merge 11 schools into one prompted over 300 girls, mostly from Sarafa school, to stage a sit-in outside the Ujjain Collectorate. The district administration later assured students would continue attending classes at their current location until a suitable alternative was arranged.

Finally, in Bhopal, around 400 students from Demonstration Multi-Purpose School protested against merging their institution into the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan network. The students voiced worries about the impact on current students, teachers, and vocational courses if the merger proceeded.