Archive · 17 Aug 2026
Hostel Girls Escape Over Overcrowding, Poor Food in Dhar
Some girls who live in a school hostel in India were not happy.
They said there were too many students and not enough beds.
They also said the food was not good.
Late at night, about 40 girls climbed out of a window and walked away.
Villagers and police stopped them a little way down the road.
The girls told officials about their problems.
The officials promised to check the hostel and fix things, so the girls went back.
Another group of girls also protested outside an office, asking for their warden to be removed.
A committee will look into what happened.
Everyone hopes the hostels will get better soon.
Around 40 students of Mata Shabri Tribal Girls Hostel in Dhar district escaped through a window late Sunday, alleging overcrowding, poor food and inadequate facilities.
The students were stopped near Katnera bridge, about 2.5 km away, and later raised grievances before tehsildar Praveen Patidar and other officials in Kukshi.
Students alleged the hostel, with a capacity of 50, accommodates around 140 students, with two or three sometimes sharing a bed.
Officials assured inspection and action by Monday afternoon, after which the students returned to the hostel around 2 am.
Separately, students of Kasturba Gandhi Girls Hostel in Keshvi protested outside the Collector's office demanding the warden's suspension over overcrowding and poor facilities.
- Who
- Around 40 students of Mata Shabri Tribal Girls Hostel and students of Kasturba Gandhi Girls Hostel in Keshvi, along with officials including tehsildar Praveen Patidar and sub-divisional officer of police Sunil Gupta.
- What
- Students escaped through a hostel window and staged protests over alleged overcrowding, poor food and inadequate facilities.
- When
- Late Sunday night and Monday.
- Where
- Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, including the Nisarpur rehabilitation site, Kukshi and Keshvi.
- Why
- Students alleged severe overcrowding, substandard food and inadequate facilities at the hostels.
Students' Perspective
Officials' and Source's Perspective
Overcrowding and facilities
Students' Perspective
Students allege the hostel is severely overcrowded, with two or three sharing a bed, and that food quality and quantity are poor.
Officials' and Source's Perspective
Officials assured inspection and action by Monday afternoon; a source questioned why students left at night instead of raising grievances during the day.
Warden's conduct
Students' Perspective
Students demand the warden's suspension, alleging she frequently troubled them and ran poor facilities; a viral video allegedly showed an altercation between the warden and assistant warden.
Officials' and Source's Perspective
A committee has been constituted to investigate the allegations and will submit its report within seven days before further action.
- Hostel
- Mata Shabri Tribal Girls Hostel, Nisarpur, Dhar
- Students who escaped
- Around 40
- Reported capacity
- 50
- Reported occupancy
- Around 140, including 50 from Girls Education Complex
- Officials who heard grievances
- Tehsildar Praveen Patidar and SDO police Sunil Gupta
- Return time
- Around 2 am
- Second protest
- Kasturba Gandhi Girls Hostel, Keshvi, demanding warden suspension
- Investigation
- Committee to submit report within seven days