J&K Education department appoints dead man as principal of Hr. Sec school

SRINAGAR: Almost a fortnight after his death, the Education Department in Jammu appointed the deceased teacher as a principal.

Rajeshwar Singh

Ashok Kumar,a renowned educationist principal of state run Higher Secondary School Ramnagar suffered a heart attack on July 14, 2017. He was shifted to district hospital Udhampur where he died later that day. His cremation took place on July 16, at his ancestral Thapal village in Ramnagar.

On August 31, 2017, J&K’s school education department ordered (613-Edu of 2017) transfers and postings of Principals, in-charge Principal of Plus Two School. In the order at No 3 was Ashok Kumar, who was posted as new head of District Institute f Educational Training (DIET), Kud.

The order triggered concern as dead man cannot return and teach. It led the department to withdraw the order and issue a fresh one in which Kumar did not figure anywhere, reported said.

“Significantly, this has not been the first instance where Education Department has committed a goof-up bringing embarrassment to the government,” Indian Express reported. “During budget discussion In June last year, members in the State Legislative Assembly were taken aback when a ruling Peoples Democratic Party MLA Raja Manzoor Dar said that a teacher Hashim from Karnah assembly constituency in North Kashmir took 18 years to prove that he is alive.”

A government employee by the name Hashim from Karnah constituency under mistaken identity was declared dead in official records, the legislator had pointed out, emphasizing the need to make government officials accountable.

Director School Education, Jammu, Ravinder Singh, who assumed charge of the office recently, said that he has instructed the officials to update the status of staff posted at schools every month and inform the administrative department accordingly.