J&K education officer bars teachers from criticising Govt policies

In a circular that has triggered a controversy in Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Education Officer (CEO) of Baramulla district in Kashmir has directed all teaching and non-teaching staff of the School Education Department to refrain from criticising government policies on social media, warning that violations could attract punitive action, including dismissal from service.

The CEO has instructed employees to strictly comply with official conduct guidelines and to avoid engaging in “unwarranted debates or discussions” or posting “inappropriate content” on social media platforms.

Advertisement

The CEO said various instances of misuse of social media platforms by teaching and non-teaching staff were discussed at a meeting chaired by the education department’s secretary on Friday.

He said such acts as interference in the policy matters of the department. “The activities are purely a violation of circular instructions issued by the government in 2023,” the CEO said.

The CEO said the secretary directed all chief education officers to bring to the notice of the administration any such violation without fail to fix the responsibility.

The circular allows for punishments for violations, including censure, fine not exceeding one month’s pay, withholding increments or promotion, demotion, recovery from pay of the whole or part of any pecuniary loss caused to the government by negligence or breach of orders, premature retirement, and removal from the services of the state.

The circular, however, mentioned that the employees are not barred from using social media and they can use these platforms for “positive and constructive purposes”.

Hitting out at the government for issuing such an order, PDP MLA Waheed Para has sought revocation of the circular.

“In an already numb Jammu and Kashmir, this order by the J&K Govt’s education dept warning teachers and govt staff against raising their voices, is deeply concerning. A government that came to power on the promise of giving people a voice is now contributing to silencing the few remaining ones in Jammu and Kashmir,” Para said in a post on X.