Between 2021 and 2025, a series of disturbing cases across India highlighted the misuse of educational spaces by evangelical forces to target poor, tribal, and underprivileged children for religious conversion. Reports from Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, and other states revealed a pattern of coercion, inducements, and misuse of hostels and classrooms. Investigations by police, child rights bodies, and education departments have brought several cases to light. Below is a compilation of 20 incidents that underline the scale and seriousness of this issue.
#1 Rajasthan Hostel Forces Children Into Conversion
On 3 September 2025, Rajasthan Police raided a Christian missionary hostel in Alwar, uncovering systematic religious conversion activities allegedly run by the Chennai-based Friends Missionary Prayer Band (FMPB). Two men, Amrit Singh and Sonu Raisikh, were arrested for indoctrinating 50 children from Sikh, Rajput, and Scheduled Caste families. Investigators found Bibles, digital material, and testimonies showing children were taught to reject their faiths and accept Christianity. Parents confirmed being lured with promises of education. Amrit, previously arrested in Sikar for similar offences, is accused of running a wider network. An FIR has been filed, and a state-level probe is underway.
#2 Headmaster Accused of Promoting Christianity in Chhattisgarh
On 4 June 2025, locals in Telai Dhar, Batai, Chhattisgarh, complained that a missionary-run primary and secondary school operating on government land for nearly 50 years was conducting Sunday church services inside its premises. Headmaster Shanilal Tigga was accused of supporting these activities, which villagers said violated rules and disturbed the educational atmosphere. The Block Education Officer confirmed an inquiry would be conducted. Critics argue that the misuse of government land for religious promotion raises serious concerns about transparency and accountability in mission-run schools.
#3 Douglas Memorial in Bilaspur Under Fire
On 23 April 2025, Douglas Memorial Christian Missionary Institution in Takhatpur, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, faced complaints for allegedly luring poor tribal children into conversion under the guise of free education and accommodation. Locals claimed that instead of focusing on academics, the institution promoted Christian teachings and groomed students to later act as pastors. A formal complaint was filed with the Chief Minister and Bilaspur Collector, prompting authorities to open an investigation.
#4 Nursing Student Pressured by Principal in Jashpur
On 9 April 2025, a final-year nursing student at Holy Cross Nursing College in Kunkuri, Jashpur Nagar, Chhattisgarh, accused Principal Sister Vincy Joseph of pressuring her to adopt Christianity. The student reported harassment, threats of expulsion from the hostel, and being barred from exams for resisting. Police registered an FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act.
#5 Tribal Children Coerced in Madhya Pradesh Hostel
On 29 March 2025, officials discovered that 48 Gond tribal children housed in a residential facility in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, were being indoctrinated into Christianity by an NGO named “Sign for India.” The State Child Rights Commission found discrepancies in records, children were listed as Hindus in official documents but marked as Christians in hostel registers. Shockingly, CCTV cameras were discovered in the girls’ bathrooms, raising privacy and safety concerns. Many children expressed aspirations to become pastors instead of professionals. Authorities opened inquiries into the hostel’s management and suspected funding sources.
#6 Religious Indoctrination at Jashpur Mission School
On 19 March 2025, villagers in Kunkuri, Jashpur Nagar, Chhattisgarh, accused a local mission school of conducting Bible classes disguised as “moral science” sessions. Parents alleged their children were discouraged from celebrating Hindu festivals and pressured to attend church. Locals complained that the school, funded partly by foreign charities, deliberately targeted Adivasi children with free meals and uniforms. Officials confirmed they were reviewing the school’s curriculum and operations.
#7 “Jesus Will Cure You”: Nun’s Conversion Attempt in TN Hospital
On 1 March 2025, a controversy erupted at Tirunelveli Government Medical College Hospital in Tamil Nadu. A Christian nun was reported to have entered the fracture ward, prayed over patients, and attempted to convert them by claiming “Jesus will cure your illness.” The Hindu Munnani organization accused priests and nuns of regularly visiting hospital wards to preach and pressure vulnerable patients into conversion, blurring the lines between healthcare and proselytization.
#8 Tribal Girls Flee Khargone Hostel Over Conversion Pressure
Fifteen minor girls fled the Ajja Girls Hostel in Chirwa, Khargone, on 27 January 2025, alleging forced religious conversion and abuse. They accused warden Rita Khatte of physical and mental harassment, compelling them to read the Bible, attend Christian prayers, and perform household chores. An inspection by the Block Education Officer led to the seizure of religious books. The warden was subsequently removed from her position and replaced pending a detailed inquiry.
#9 Unauthorized Prayers at Govt-Leased Hostel in Andhra Pradesh
On 4 February 2025, a government-leased BC Residential Hostel in Kovvur, Andhra Pradesh, was found to be conducting unauthorized Christian prayer sessions for over 55 Backward Class students from grades 3 to 10. The activities allegedly violated constitutional provisions prohibiting forced religious instruction in government-aided institutions. The Legal Rights Protection Forum filed a complaint with the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
#10 Anganwadi Worker Teaches Christian Lessons to Toddlers
A viral video from 8 January 2025, showed an Anganwadi worker in Patkura village, Surguja, Chhattisgarh, teaching Christian religious lessons to toddlers during mealtime. The worker was seen reciting passages of Christian faith, which the children were made to repeat. The incident at the government-supported child development center triggered widespread outrage and prompted an official inquiry into the worker’s conduct.
#11 UP School Prayer Assembly Used for Conversion
An English Medium School in Chhatauna, Uttar Pradesh, became the center of controversy on 15 December 2024. The principal and staff were accused of distributing religious texts and encouraging poor families and children to participate in Christian-style prayer sessions aimed at conversion. The prayer session was stopped on the spot, and an FIR was filed against the institution after a memorandum was submitted to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate.
#12 Gujarat School Couple Accused of Forcing Conversion
On 29 November 2024, a viral video from Navsari, Gujarat, showed Kamal Naskar and his wife Sarita, associated with Seventh Day English Medium School, leading children in a Christian prayer. The children were allegedly made to take an oath renouncing Hindu deities and declaring Jesus as the only God. Hindu organizations filed a complaint with the Navsari District Police Chief, demanding an FIR for forced religious conversion.
#13 Betul Coaching Centre Front for Conversion Activities
On 16 September 2024, a coaching centre in Hamalapur, Betul, was exposed as a front for religious conversion. Pastor Rajo Thomas and two women, Jyoti and Pooja Gohe, were accused of brainwashing dozens of minor children and poor tribal community members into accepting Christianity under the promise of a better life. An FIR was registered against the accused under the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act.
#14 Ratlam School Stormed in Protest Over Conversion Claims
St. Peter’s Higher Secondary Institution in Jaora, Ratlam, was stormed by ABVP members on 27 July 2024, who chanted “Stop Conversions.” They alleged the school was promoting Christian religious propaganda through imagery and teachings. The protesters replaced Christian-themed images with pictures of Bharat Mata and Goddess Saraswati and performed an aarti on the campus in a two-hour-long demonstration.
#15 Damoh School Caught in Foreign-Funded Conversion Scheme
A raid on 18 February 2024, by the MP Child Rights Commission on Good Shepherd Institution in Patharia, Damoh, uncovered a forced conversion scheme. Four Hindu children were recorded as Christians in official documents, and Bibles were seized. Parents reported their children were mocked for their faith and secretly taken to church. The institution was linked to the Operation Mercy India Foundation, which runs 126 centers across India.
#16 Bhopal Shelter Director Arrested in German Funding Probe
The director of a children’s home in Bhopal, Anil Mathew, was arrested on 8 January 2024, after girls reported being forced to immerse Hindu idols, stop worshipping their deities, and adopt Christianity. They were given Christian books, forced into daily prayers, and told facilities were provided by “Lord Jesus.” Police are investigating foreign funding from Germany linked to the institution.
#17 Jhabua Mission School Trained Tribal Girls as Nuns
On 23 July 2023, the MP Child Rights Commission discovered three minor tribal girls at a Jhabua mission school being trained to become nuns in a building called Jyoti Bhavan. The girls were brought from Rajasthan. The commission also found evidence of forced conversion attempts, illegal fee collection, foreign funding, and illegal possession of a firearm. An FIR was recommended.
#18 Chennai School Hostel Accused of Forcing Christianity
On 6 September 2022, an unregistered girls’ hostel at CSI Monahan School in Royapettah, Chennai, was found forcing girls from poor families to follow Christianity during a surprise inspection. Some students also reported abuse by the hostel warden. Police filed an FIR against the hostel management under the Juvenile Justice Act.
#19 TN School Teachers Accused of Pressuring Students to Convert
On 14 June 2022, parents in Keezha Kuthapanchan Village, Tenkasi, refused to send their children to a government-aided school, accusing several teachers of pressuring around 165 students to abandon their religion and caste and embrace Christianity. Over 75 parents staged a sit-in at the Block Education Office, leading the Tamil Nadu Education Department to launch an official probe.
#20 Raisen Hostel Influenced Students for Conversion
A surprise inspection by the NCPCR on 8 November 2021, at the Sisters of Jesus Girls Hostel in Intkheri, Raisen, found that 19 poor students were being influenced for religious conversion. Bibles were found in dormitories, and the hostel was unregistered. The managing Catholic nuns denied wrongdoing, claiming they only supported poor girls and that registration was pending.
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