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Kerala HC seeks State’s response on teacher’s suspension over Savarkar question
The Kerala high court on Thursday sought the State government’s response to a writ petition filed by a school teacher in Kasaragod district challenging his suspension over a question he framed about VD Savarkar for an interschool quiz competition
The Kerala high court on Thursday sought the State government’s response to a writ petition filed by a school teacher in Kasaragod district challenging his suspension over a question he framed about VD Savarkar for an interschool quiz competition.
The bench of justice Viju Abraham asked the government pleader to apprise the court “as to the specific reason for which the petitioner was placed under suspension.”
The court, during the hearing, also asked whether the teacher should have been suspended since disciplinary proceedings have been initiated.
It further asked, “The teacher may have had other intentions, but can he be suspended only for putting a wrong question? What is the illegal act done by him?”
The State government was granted time till August 17 to file its response on the matter.
The petition was filed by Guruprasad Rai K (44), a teacher at the Government Upper Primary School in Pallathadka, Kasaragod district. He faced disciplinary action over a question he framed on Savarkar for the ‘Freedom Quiz’ as part of an inter-school competition. The question was “who is the freedom fighter who received the most punishment at the hands of the British?”. The answer provided in the answer key was Veer Savarkar.
The inquiry initiated against the teacher found that framing a question in a way that could spread a misleading impression was “very serious.”
The petitioner claimed that his suspension was issued on the orders of the minister of general education and violative of the Rules of Business of the state government. He has challenged his suspension by claiming that it violated the Kerala Education Act.
