Around 25 Class 10 girl students of the Government Girls' Higher Secondary School in Subramaniyapuram, Aranthangi, were allegedly made to do 100 squats under the scorching sun as punishment for failing to submit school documents on time, according to the report by The New Indian Express.

The incident, which took place on Monday, June 16, has triggered outrage among parents and local activists.

According to sources, the class teacher instructed students to submit a list of documents within 15 days of school reopening. These included their community, income, residence, and birth certificates, Aadhaar card, and bank account details.

When 25 of the 40 students failed to meet the deadline, the teacher reportedly ordered them to perform squats in the school premises.One of the punished students, who reportedly has a pre-existing wheezing condition, fell ill later that day and was unable to walk home the next day. -

"She had to be carried by fellow parents and her father, distressed by the situation, collapsed near the school and needed treatment," said a parent who accompanied him.

"Document submission is a parental responsibility. The urgency for children to bear the brunt of it is unfair. The teacher even warned of 200 squats if the documents weren't submitted by the next day," a parent told The New Indian Express.

On Tuesday, June 17, angry parents and local activists visited the school seeking accountability.

School Management Committee member Thendral K Karupaiah acknowledged that the punishment was inappropriate but maintained that the teacher had a good track record. He said she had apologised, and the headmistress assured parents such incidents wouldn't recur.

"As parents knew the teacher and also a local resident, parents did not want to press complaints." he added. The School Education Department has sought an explanation and will conduct an inquiry today, Wednesday, June 18.