Mayurbhanj, Aug. 4 (UDN): While children of their age head to classrooms with school bags every morning, two orphaned siblings in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district begin their day herding cattle across village fields. For them, the dream of education remains out of reach—not because of a lack of willingness, but because they do not possess the basic documents required for school admission.
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Ten-year-old Gulu Choudhury and her eight-year-old brother Bhaga Choudhury, residents of Urmal village under Udala block, have been living with their elderly grandparents, Sharat Choudhury and Champa Choudhury, ever since they lost both their parents nearly eight years ago.
With no permanent source of income and limited means of survival, the ageing couple has been raising the children by tending cattle. Every morning, the siblings accompany their grandparents to graze livestock instead of attending school, a routine that has become their everyday reality.
According to the family, attempts were made to enrol the children in a nearby government school. However, the admission process could not move forward because the siblings do not have essential identity documents, including Aadhaar cards and birth certificates.
“I want to study like other children, but I was told I cannot be admitted without the required documents,” Gulu said, expressing her desire to exchange the grazing fields for a classroom.
The family’s struggle has drawn the attention of the local education authorities. Udala Block Education Officer Subrat Kisku said the administration became aware of the case after receiving information from the Cluster Resource Centre coordinator.
He assured that the department would work with the children’s grandparents to complete the necessary documentation and facilitate their admission to a nearby school.
“We will counsel the guardians, complete the required formalities and make every effort to enrol both children in school within the next seven days,” Kisku said.
The case has once again highlighted how the absence of basic identity documents can deprive vulnerable children of their right to education. Despite government initiatives aimed at achieving universal school enrolment, such gaps continue to leave some of the state’s most disadvantaged children outside the education system.
For Gulu and Bhaga, the hope is simple—that the sticks they carry to herd cattle will soon be replaced by school bags, notebooks and the opportunity to build a better future through education.
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