Another Corporal punishment case in Himachal: Volunteer teacher accused of beating first-grader
Shimla, Nov 1,
Another case of alleged corporal punishment has surfaced in Himachal Pradesh’s education system — this time from Government Primary School Khaddapana in Bhluun Panchayat under Rohru subdivision, District Shimla. A departmental inquiry and police investigation have been initiated after the family of a first-grade student alleged that their child was beaten by a volunteer teacher, causing injuries to his ear.
According to the complaint made public through social media, Nitish, a man voluntarily assisting in teaching at the school, allegedly grabbed the ear of a six-year-old student so harshly that it started bleeding. The incident reportedly occurred about five days ago and came to light after the child’s father, Durga Das, raised the matter online, demanding strict action.
The Block Primary Education Officer (BPEO), Yashwant Khimta, immediately visited the school on Friday and initiated a departmental probe. Khimta confirmed that due to a shortage of teaching staff, the School Management Committee (SMC) had, with mutual consent, allowed Nitish to assist voluntarily without any remuneration. His wife is also employed at the same school as a water carrier.
Khimta stated that a detailed report of the inquiry has been submitted to the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDM), Rohru, for further action. Meanwhile, DSP Rohru Pranav Chauhan confirmed that the police have received the complaint via social media. “The matter is under investigation. Statements of the child’s parents are being recorded, and the SDM has been informed,” he said.
This latest incident comes close on the heels of a similar case at Government Primary School Gawana in the same subdivision, where a head teacher was suspended last week after a viral video showed her beating a student with a prickly bush. In another case from Khodsu School, a teacher was suspended recently for allegedly consuming alcohol during school hours.
Education officials expressed concern over the rising number of such complaints from government schools in remote areas. A senior officer in the Directorate of Elementary Education said that any act of physical or mental abuse of students constitutes a gross violation of Section 17 of the Right to Education Act, 2009, and can attract penal action under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.
Authorities have reiterated their commitment to maintaining a zero-tolerance policy toward corporal punishment and misconduct in educational institutions, emphasizing that strict disciplinary and legal action will follow once the inquiry report is finalized.
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