Lucknow: The headmaster of a primary school in Nawazkheda village under Mohanlalganj tehsil has been suspended after books meant for students were allegedly sold to a scrap dealer. Ravindra Gupta, the headmaster of the school, was placed under suspension following the incident, which came to light after a video went viral on social media.
Basic Shiksha Adhikari Calls Incident a Serious Lapse
Basic Shiksha Adhikari Vipin Kumar confirmed the suspension, describing the matter as a serious lapse. He said the suspension order itself clearly outlined the reasons and declined to comment further.
An official associated with the inquiry, who did not wish to be named, said that while there could have been negligence during inspections, both workbooks and textbooks were available on the school premises. He said that in such circumstances, the books should have been distributed among students instead of being sold as scrap.
Education Department Orders Probe After Video Goes Viral
The issue surfaced last week after the video began circulating online, prompting the basic education department to order an inquiry. On Wednesday morning, block education officer Sushil Kanaujia visited the Nawazkheda primary school and carried out an inspection. He interacted with local residents and later recorded the statement of the scrap dealer involved in the case.
In the viral video, the scrap dealer is seen exiting the school premises with sacks filled with books. Some village children stopped him outside the school and opened one of the sacks, revealing textbooks meant for Classes 1 to 5. The footage also showed a motorcycle rider standing nearby and several sacks, estimated to be around six, loaded on a cart. The total weight of the books and other material was estimated to be around two quintals. The video was recorded by a local youth and shared on social media, triggering widespread public outrage.
The incident has drawn attention to the shortage of textbooks in government schools, as around 20 percent of students in urban and rural primary schools in Lucknow are still without complete sets of books. Teachers had sent requisitions for textbooks to block education officers in July and August, but supplies have yet to reach several schools.
