Current Affairs
Odisha Auditors Caught Taking ₹10-Per-Student Bribes From Residential Schools
Ten rupees per student sounds tiny, but multiplied across government-run residential schools in Odisha, it allegedly grew into a cash stash worth over fourteen lakh rupees.
₹14,38,340cash seized from the two accused auditors
The facts
- 1Odisha's Vigilance department arrested two auditors accused of demanding a ₹10 bribe per enrolled student while auditing government-run residential schools.
- 2The auditors allegedly asked school wardens to pay the per-student amount to avoid negative findings during hostel and mess-account audits.
- 3Investigators seized ₹14,38,340 in cash, kept in sealed envelopes, from the two accused auditors during the raid.
- 4The case has triggered a review of audit procedures across Odisha's residential school network, which serves thousands of tribal and low-income students.
- 5Vigilance officials called it a case of institutionalized petty corruption, while some school administrators say informal payments to auditors have long gone unrecorded.
Why it matters
Government residential schools depend on public funds meant for food, hostels, and supplies for vulnerable students, so even a tiny per-student bribe can drain welfare resources when repeated across a large system.
Sources
- The Hindu
- Odisha Vigilance Department
