The Rajasthan High Court recently observed that teachers who are intended to give education and ‘sanskar’ to the younger generation are involved in malpractices such as question paper leaks, which cause havoc in the society.
The observation was done by single-judge Justice Vinit Kumar Mathur while refusing relief to two teachers charged with leaking question papers of senior teacher examinations.
The two had moved before the Court to overturn the orders suspending and then discharging them from service.
The petitioners, Bhagirath Ram and his brother Ravata Ram, were caught red-handed in a hotel in Udaipur, along with some other people, solving papers for dummy candidates, according to the Court.
“The petitioners in this case are teachers who provide education and Sanskar to our country’s younger generation. The petitioners were caught red-handed with other group of people in an Udaipur hotel who were solving papers for dummy candidates. They were involved in assisting dummy candidates and were using unconstitutional and unethical measures to assist candidates in the examination for Teacher recruitment in Rajasthan,” the bench stated in its order pronounced on May 1.
As a result, the judge noted, people like the petitioners who are involved in malpractices and unethical conduct do not deserve any leniency in the matter.
He also mentioned the state’s trend of paper leaks, which was jeopardizing students’ careers.
“This Court takes pains to note that nowadays, the leakage of papers and other malpractices employed by miscreants such as petitioners are wreaking havoc in society, jeopardising the honest and genuine students’ careers and completely demoralising them. The involvement of teachers in such malpractices is of grave concern,” the bench highlighted.
This Court believes that the time has passed when people like petitioners should not be afforded pity or the benefit of the doubt.
The Court ruled that they must be dealt with iron hands.
On December 25, 2022, a FIR was filed against the petitioners after they were apprehended. On December 24, 2022, while they were still in judicial custody, the Director of Secondary Education passed an order suspending them.
They were then served with another order on December 27, 2022, seeking their defence in the department’s proposed disciplinary probe.
The respondents dismissed the petitioners before they could file their reply in an order dated January 13, 2023.
The High Court observed that the petitioners had an effective alternative remedy in the form of an appeal under the Rajasthan Civil Services (Classification, Control, and Appeal) Rules, 1958.
As a result, the Court dismissed their plea.
