Teacher's slap, student's death reignite India's debate over corporal punishment

A student's death in India has reignited public debate over corporal punishment in schools after the child, named Teja, died following a slap from a teacher. The case has again drawn attention to a question the country has yet to fully answer — why, more than a decade after corporal punishment was banned, hitting children in schools remains a routine practice.

India formally outlawed corporal punishment in educational institutions over ten years ago. Yet, as this latest case shows, the legal ban is often not upheld in practice. Teja's death has become a stark example of a broader problem: the gap between formal legislation and everyday reality in many Indian schools, where some teachers continue to rely on physical force as a disciplinary tool.

A gap between law and practice

The incident has renewed questions about why a formal ban has failed to meaningfully change attitudes and everyday practice within the education system. Public and media discussion has again turned to what additional mechanisms might be needed to ensure the legal prohibition is actually enforced in schools nationwide, rather than remaining a document with little real-world consequence.

The case has drawn wide attention because it illustrates that protecting children from physical violence in schools remains an unresolved issue despite the ban having been in force for years. It has once again highlighted the need for stricter oversight, accountability mechanisms and teacher training to prevent similar tragedies in the future.