A teacher from a government primary school in Yellapur taluk in Karnataka, Prakash Naik, was suspended for dereliction of duty and absenteeism, and allegedly for coming to school in an ‘inebriated state’, but the suspension order was kept under wraps for several days.
Naik, a teacher at the Government Lower Primary School in Balegadde village, was found to be regularly absent from his duties, a fact that was confirmed during surprise visits by education officials and the School Development and Management Committee (SDMC) chairman.
However, despite his absences, Naik continued to sign the staff attendance register on those days, reported The New Indian Express.
The Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) for Sirsi Circle issued a suspension order after a series of findings, including Naik’s absence on key dates such as August 20, 2024, when the SDMC chairman visited the school, and August 16, 22, and 23, 2024, when a community resource person found him missing. On all these days, Naik had signed the attendance register, which raised concerns about his attendance records.
In response to these incidents, the DDPI issued a show-cause notice to Naik, asking him to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken under the Karnataka Civil Services Rules (KCSR) 106(A) and 108.
After receiving no reply, the teacher was placed under suspension on November 21, 2024. However, the suspension remained unpublicised for several days, leading to questions about why the action was not made known immediately.
Local sources claim that Naik has continued to display his habitual absenteeism even after the suspension, TNIE added.
Belapur Block Education Officer (BEO) NR Hegde clarified that the suspension was not kept secret, but acknowledged an inquiry into allegations of Naik being inebriated while attending school. Hegde added that there was no conclusive evidence to support these claims of alcohol consumption.
