CBSE Report: Eighteen Months of Bullying and Teacher Apathy led to Jaipur Class 4 Student Suicide

A nine-year-old Class 4 student at Neerja Modi School in Jaipur endured 18 months of relentless bullying and "unbearable trauma" before taking her own life on November 1, 2025, by jumping from the fourth floor of the school building, according to a scathing Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) probe report released this week. Amaira Kumar Meena, an only child from a modest family, approached her class teacher five times over 45 minutes on the day of her death, pleading for help amid harassment from classmates, but was met with shouts and dismissive remarks that "shocked the entire class," the report found. CCTV footage captured Amaira appearing cheerful earlier that morning—dancing, eating golgappas, and laughing—before a digital slate incident around 11 a.m. left her visibly distressed, puzzled, and embarrassed as a group of boys wrote derogatory content that she desperately tried to erase.

The CBSE committee, which included education experts and child psychologists, lambasted the school's systemic failures, noting that Amaira's parents had lodged multiple complaints over the bullying, including verbal abuse with "sexual connotations", but were repeatedly ignored. In one instance from September 2025, her father reported a boy targeting her, only for teacher Puneeta Sharma to retort that the child "needs to adjust with other kids." Similar pleas in May and October—over incidents like a middle finger gesture and public misquoting of her greeting as "I love you"—went unheeded, with the school coordinator and management showing "no preventive or proactive action". The report emphasised that Sharma's "non-response, lack of hearing, and absence of empathy" directly escalated the crisis, stating, "If she would have intervened in the first place, the problem could not have reached this magnitude."

Tragically, the school's safety lapses compounded the negligence: despite the classroom being on the ground floor, Amaira was able to access the unsecured fourth-floor parapet undetected in a six-storey building housing over 5,000 students. The CBSE highlighted violations of mandatory guidelines, including the absence of audio in CCTV footage—despite rules requiring it—and no protective grills or nets on higher floors. Parents' statements revealed Amaira's prior distress, including a voice note sent to Sharma where she cried, "I don’t want to go to school," which received no follow-up. The report described Amaira as an "innocent child" who skipped lunch that day, feeling "cornered" after the teacher's outbursts, before fleeing the classroom and ending her life on the spot. She was rushed to Jaipuria Hospital but declared dead on arrival.

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In response, the CBSE issued a show-cause notice to Neerja Modi School on November 20, demanding explanations for the breaches and warning of potential derecognition or affiliation revocation if violations are confirmed. Rajasthan's education department has formed a parallel five-member probe committee, expected to submit findings within days, while police investigations continue, including forensic analysis of the scene. Amaira's family, including father Vijay Meena and mother Shivani, has accused the school of evidence tampering—such as hastily cleaning bloodstains—and demanded accountability, vowing to pursue legal action. Community outrage has swelled, with parent groups protesting outside the school and calling for stricter anti-bullying protocols nationwide.

This heartbreaking incident underscores a rising epidemic of student suicides in India, with over 13,000 cases reported annually among schoolchildren, often linked to academic pressure and unchecked harassment. Experts advocate for mandatory counselling, audio-enabled surveillance, and teacher training on mental health, while Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma announced a statewide audit of school safety norms. As the probes unfold, Amaira's story serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for schools to prioritise empathy over indifference, ensuring no child feels so utterly alone.

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