Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A woman guest teacher was removed after being labeled as a one with 'bad character' on the guest teacher management portal in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh. She has travelled 200 kilometers to the Directorate of Public Instructions (DPI) in Bhopal, in an attempt to clear her name and fight for her honour.

The teacher, Namrata Patel, is demanding that the officials either provide evidence of her alleged misconduct or reinstate her with a clean character record.

Patel had been serving as a guest teacher at the Higher Secondary School in Sahajpur, Kesli Block, Sagar district, for several years. The controversy began on September 23, when an objectionable video involving students from the school went viral. On the day of the incident, Namrata was not present at the school until 2 PM, as she was scheduled for the second shift to prepare for quarterly exams.

Despite this, Namrata was terminated from her guest teaching role on September 27 and labeled with a 'bad character' remark in official records.

Hubby, Brother-in-law lose job

Her husband, Devendra Patel, and her brother-in-law, Dharmendra Patel, both guest teachers, also lost their jobs due to the same incident. On the day of the incident, Devendra was absent from school, while Dharmendra was teaching at another school 8 kilometers away. Despite this, both were terminated.

Her husband told Free Press that on September 27, orders were issued to remove the then-principal of the school at noon. A new principal joined on September 28, leaving the school without an authorized head during the crucial period. However, the removed principal issued termination orders for Namrata and her family on the evening of September 27, despite no longer holding the position.

Namrata and her family have filed a defamation lawsuit against the District Education Officer of Sagar and other responsible officials. The court has issued notices to the respondents, and the first hearing is scheduled for December 3. She has warned that if her character is not corrected in official records, she will commit self-immolation in front of the DPI office.

'Fight for my honour'

Namrata said that the officials have tarnished my reputation across the village by labeling me as having a bad character. This is a fight for my honour. They must either reinstate me with a clean record or prove their allegations.

Guest teachers rely on their unique IDs, which record their work experience and merit scores. The deletion of Namrata’s and her family’s IDs have erased their years of experience, reducing their chances of being rehired. If they reapply with new IDs, their prior experience will not be considered, making them ineligible for priority in future recruitment.