Khordha: The principal of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) at Gurujang in Odisha’s Khordha district has been suspended following a severe outbreak of jaundice on the school campus that affected over 90 students and staff members.
The Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) issued an official suspension order against Principal Kavita Kar, citing alleged gross negligence in handling the situation. In the interim, Vice-Principal Nrusingha Charan Chakra has been appointed as the officiating principal and will continue in the role until a new principal is posted.
As part of the administrative action, the suspended principal has also been transferred to the NVS Regional Office in Bhopal.
According to official sources, the outbreak escalated due to lapses in campus management, prompting inspection teams from NVS headquarters in Delhi and the regional office in Bhopal to conduct on-site assessments. Their findings reportedly pointed to serious shortcomings in preventive and response measures.
With the infection spreading rapidly, the school authorities were forced to temporarily close the institution. Intensive cleaning and sanitisation drives were carried out, including disinfection of water storage tanks and other campus facilities, to contain the outbreak and prevent further transmission.
Confirming the development, Vice-Principal Nrusingha Charan Chakra stated that Principal Kavita Kar was suspended for her alleged negligence in connection with the jaundice outbreak.
Further administrative and health-related measures are expected based on the inspection reports, officials said.
