Twenty-four girl students in Odisha became pregnant while staying in hostels of residential schools run by a state government department during the last two years, a minister informed the assembly on Friday.In a written reply to a query of Congress legislator Tara Prasad Bahinipati, School and Mass Education Minister Nityananda Gond said nine boarders became pregnant in the academic year 2024-25, while 15 such cases were reported in 2025-26.The schools concerned are run by the Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Schedule Caste (SC) Development, Minorities & Backward Classes Welfare Department, said Gond, who also holds this portfolio.In maximum cases, the accused were not associated with the schools, and FIRs have been lodged against 13 people, he said. Of these, nine accused were arrested, Gond said.Five such incidents were reported from Kandhamal district, four in Koraput and three in Rayagada, while several other districts accounted for the remaining cases, the minister added.