Kendrapara, July 1: Authorities of a central government-run residential school have finally provided hostel accommodation to a HIV positive 13-year-old orphan after initially denying her a berth.

The Telegraph had on June 24 carried a news item ("HIV student denied hostel berth") that prompted the administration to intervene.

"The Class IX girl was admitted to the school hostel today. Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya residential school authorities have been directed to look after the girl with added care," said Kendrapara collector Debraj Senapati.

The girl, who lost her parents to AIDS a decade ago, is being taken care of by her paternal uncle at her native village. Her younger brother studying at the village school is also an HIV carrier. Because of discrimination, the girl has suffered a lot academically. She has stopped going to school after being denied a berth in the hostel. She visits the school twice a year to take the examination, child rights' campaigner Biraja Prasad Pati said in his petition to the district collector.

Child welfare committee (CWC) panel members have visited the school and have inquired into the alleged discrimination towards the HIV carrier. The committee has been asked to organise a counselling session in the school to spread awareness on AIDS, collector Senapati said.

Vice-principal of Navodaya Vidyalaya Manorama Bakshi said: "The child has been provided with a hostel berth. However, she didn't face any discrimination as it was being alleged. Our school is a residential school. She used to feel homesick. As a result, we allowed her to continue from home. We had done so purely on humanitarian ground."

Chairman of CWC Sishir Kumar Routray said: "We interacted with the girl child. She was happy to have found a hostel berth. We have asked the school staff members and hostel supervisors to pay due attention to her so that she does not feel alienated."

"Going by on-the-spot assessment of the situation, we could not arrive at a conclusion that the HIV carrier was discriminated. The school authorities offered the explanation that the child was homesick. As she had failed to cope with hostel life and discipline, the school had allowed her guardians to take her back home. However, they should not have done so. Instead, they should have persuaded her to stay put as it would affect her studies," Routray said.

"We are happy to learn that the girl has got her rightful place in the school hostel. Denying education to children with HIV/AIDS is an offence. Denial of admission or expulsion of children living with, or affected by, HIV/AIDS from school children is a cognisable offence. Besides, the Right to Education Act 2010 guarantees education to all children (irrespective of any disability or ailment) in the age group of six to 14 years. Thus rights of students with HIV/AIDS is duly protected by law," said rights campaigner Pati.