Jaipur deaf school protest: Raj govt suspends former principal, orders probe as Gehlot and Pilot back students

Jaipur, Aug 6 (IANS) The protest by students of the Government Seth Anandilal Poddar School for the Hearing and Speech Impaired in Jaipur took a dramatic turn, with the Rajasthan government suspending the school’s principal, Bharat Joshi, and ordering a departmental inquiry into allegations of mismanagement.

The developments come amid mounting political pressure, with senior Congress leaders Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot on Wednesday extending support to the protesting students and demanding immediate government intervention.

Students of the school have been staging a protest over several long-pending issues, including the deteriorating condition of the school building, shortage of trained teachers, inadequate infrastructure, and poor educational facilities.

The agitation has brought one of Rajasthan’s oldest institutions for hearing and speech-impaired students into the spotlight.

Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot visited the school and met the protesting students to hear their grievances.

Describing the situation as unfortunate, he said it was distressing that differently-abled children had to protest on the streets to make the government hear their concerns.

Gehlot urged Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to constitute a special committee to resolve all issues at the earliest so that the students’ education is not affected.

Recalling his long association with the education of hearing and speech-impaired children, Gehlot said that nearly 45 years ago, after being elected as an MP from Jodhpur, he had helped establish the Gandhi School for the Hearing and Speech Impaired, which has since grown into a college.

Based on that experience, he said institutions serving differently-abled students deserve special attention and better infrastructure.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot also criticised the state government, saying the Government Seth Anandilal Poddar School, once known for quality education, is now suffering from administrative neglect.

He alleged that the dilapidated building, shortage of trained teachers, and lack of basic facilities had forced students to launch the protest.

Amid the escalating controversy, the School Education Department suspended Bharat Joshi, who had recently been promoted as District Education Officer (DEO), after initiating disciplinary proceedings against him under Rule 16 of the Rajasthan Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1958.

The suspension came shortly after he was relieved from the school following his promotion.

The order states that Joshi will receive a subsistence allowance during the suspension period, while his headquarters has been fixed at the Office of the Director of Secondary Education (Bikaner) Ashish Modi .

In another significant development, the Education Department has also ordered an inquiry into allegations of mismanagement at the school.

Acting on directions issued by the School Education Department, the Joint Director of School Education (Jaipur Division), Manju Sharma, has instructed the Chief Block Education Officer (Jaipur East) Mukul Kavia to personally head an inquiry committee and submit a detailed report.

The committee has been asked to investigate the allegations raised during the students’ protest and recommend disciplinary action against those found responsible.

The inquiry report has been sought on an urgent basis.

Notably, while the suspension order against Bharat Joshi does not specify the reasons for the disciplinary proceedings or directly link the action to the ongoing protest, the inquiry order explicitly refers to the students’ demonstration and allegations of mismanagement at the institution.

Established before Independence, the Government Seth Anandilal Poddar School has educated thousands of hearing and speech-impaired students over the decades.

Students are currently demanding immediate repairs to the school building, appointment of qualified teachers, better educational infrastructure, and improved facilities to ensure uninterrupted learning.

With the suspension of the former principal, the launch of a departmental inquiry, and support from senior opposition leaders, the issue has evolved from a campus protest into a major political and administrative matter.

The state government’s next steps, including the findings of the inquiry committee, are now expected to determine the future course of action.

–IANS

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