Class 4 English paper row: Headmistress suspended in Chhattisgarh over question naming dog ‘Ram’

Raipur: The headmistress of a government school in Chhattisgarh has been suspended after a question in a Class 4 English question paper allegedly set by her triggered allegations of hurting religious sentiments, officials said on Sunday.

Disciplinary proceedings have also been initiated to dismiss the paper moderator, a contractual woman teacher, from service, they said. During the half-yearly examinations held recently in government schools across the Raipur division, an English paper included the question, "What is the name of Mona's dog?" with four options. One of the options listed the name 'Ram', prompting objections as Lord Ram is a revered deity in Hinduism.

The other options were 'Bala', 'Sheru' and 'No One'. The matter first came to light in Mahasamund district and subsequently in other districts of the Raipur division, sparking a controversy and protests from right-wing outfits. Following complaints, a five-member inquiry committee was constituted to probe the matter.

Based on its findings, the paper setter, Shikha Soni, headmistress of Government Primary School, Nakti (Khapri), under Tilda development block in Raipur district, was suspended, District Education Officer (DEO) Raipur Himanshu Bhartiya said in a statement on Saturday.

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Disciplinary proceedings have also been initiated to dismiss the paper moderator, Namrata Verma, an assistant teacher (contractual), from service, he said. In her written explanation, Soni admitted the mistake, stating that the word 'Ram' was inadvertently printed instead of 'Ramu' due to the omission of the letter 'U'.

The error occurred unknowingly during the preparation of the question paper and went unnoticed even during review, the statement said. She maintained that she had no intention of hurting religious sentiments or insulting any religion or community, and expressed regret while seeking forgiveness.

Verma, in her explanation, said she was assigned to prepare one of the two sets of Class 4 English question papers received from the district education office. Each question carried four multiple-choice options, which she retained as provided. She admitted that she failed to notice the word 'Ram' properly and said the lapse was unintentional.

She also expressed regret and assured that such a mistake would not be repeated in the future. The DEO has issued warning letters to the Block Education Officer, Tilda, for not selecting an experienced teacher, and to the principal of Shaheed Smarak Swami Atmanand Utkrisht School, Raipur, for failing to appoint an appropriate moderator for the paper, officials said.

The question had triggered protests by right-wing outfits outside the DEO's office in Mahasamund, with the Vishwa Hindu Parishad demanding the arrest and dismissal of those responsible for preparing the question paper.