Chhattisgarh School Headmistress Suspended Over Controversial Exam Question

Suspension Following Exam Paper Controversy

The headmistress of a government school in Raipur district, Chhattisgarh, has been suspended after a Class 4 English exam included 'Ram' as a potential answer to a question regarding a dog's name, as reported by a local news outlet.

Shikha Soni, the headmistress, explained that she meant to write 'Ramu' but accidentally omitted the letter 'u'.

Namrata Verma, a contractual assistant teacher who reviewed the exam paper, admitted she also overlooked the missing letter. Following the uproar, actions are being taken to terminate her employment.

This incident occurred at a school located in Nakti, within the Tilda block of Raipur district.

Both Soni and Verma expressed that there was no intention to offend religious beliefs and have since apologized for the oversight.

However, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal lodged complaints with local authorities, leading to a case being filed against unidentified individuals under a non-bailable section of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which addresses actions that intentionally provoke religious sentiments.

District Education Officer Himanshu Bhartiya has initiated an investigation into the situation, forming a five-member committee to look into the complaints.

Bhartiya stated, 'Ram is a highly respected figure in Hinduism, and including 'Ram' as an answer option has offended religious sentiments.' He also issued warning letters to the block education officer of Tilda for not appointing a qualified teacher to prepare the exam and to the school principal for failing to choose an appropriate moderator.