J-K: Baramulla education officer removed after directing staff to avoid criticising government on social media

NEW DELHI: The chief education officer (CEO) of the Baramulla district was removed from his post on Monday, two days after he directed the teaching and non-teaching staff to refrain from criticising government policies on social media. The CEO of Bandipora district has been given additional charge of Baramulla till further orders. "Pending inquiry, Bashir Ahmad Shah, in charge CEO Baramulla, is hereby attached with the Directorate of School Education Kashmir with immediate effect," an order issued by the administrative secretary of the School Education Department read.

In a circular issued on Saturday, Shah had directed all the employees of the School Education Department in the district to strictly adhere to guidelines and refrain from posting inappropriate content and "indulging in unwarranted debates and discussions" on social media. The circular followed a meeting chaired by the administrative secretary of the Education Department on Friday, where, according to Shah, various instances of "misuse" of social media platforms by teaching and non-teaching staff were discussed.

Violation may attract disciplinary action

Terming it an "interference" in the department's policy matters, he said, "The activities are purely a violation of circular instructions issued by the government in 2023." The administrative secretary had directed all CEOs to flag any such violation without fail in order to fix responsibility, he added. The circular warned that violations could attract disciplinary action, including censure, fine, withholding of increments or promotions, demotion, recovery from pay, premature retirement, or removal from service.

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PDP demands order revocation

However, it clarified that employees were not barred from using social media for “positive and constructive purposes". People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader Waheed Para had on Sunday lashed out at the government for issuing the order and called for its revocation . "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 govt 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, attaching a copy of the circular. The PDP leader said the government had earlier informed the assembly that it was drafting a new media policy to regulate digital platforms, following the 2020 New Media Policy, which was criticised by journalists and civil society for its "authoritarian undertones".