Caste row over Dalit woman’s engagement at anganwadi centre in Odisha resolved, says official

Odisha's Kendrapara district administration resolved a caste row over the engagement of a Dalit woman as an anganwadi helper after negotiations with villagers. The dispute, which began in November 2025 and involved a boycott of the center for nearly three months, was settled when the villagers agreed to send their children back to the anganwadi centre starting February 16, 2026. The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Odisha State Commission for Women, and other stakeholders were involved in the resolution process. The center will resume normal operations as a result.