Teachers demand exemption of NSS, NCC students from election duty

Teachers in Mumbai demand students be exempted from election duty, citing health concerns due to heat waves. EC directive requires NCC, NSS students for crowd management.

Mumbai: Following the Election Commission (EC) directive for principals to provide a list of students participating in the National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS), and scouts and guides for election duty, teachers have demanded that students be exempted from this task.

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After the EC directive, the education officer from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) last week wrote a letter to school principals, requesting them to submit a list of students willing to assist on election day. “It is a routine practice for every election. Students from NCC and NSS help at election booths for crowd management and other related tasks. We are providing the EC with a list of students from classes 9 to 12,” said an official from the education department.

Opposing the decision, Anil Bornare, a teacher activist who has written to the EC, said, “Considering the heat wave warnings in April and May that can impact health, the Election Commission should reconsider involving students in election duty.”