After census and elections, UP government teachers now on duty at mass weddings

LUCKNOW: Apart from participating in decennial census, elections, voter ID and caste certificate camps, a new task has been added in the list of duties of primary teachers in Uttar Pradesh - to ensure all goes well at government-sponsored 'mass weddings' being held in different districts.
An organisation of primary school teachers has termed the order, issued by Basic Education Officer (BSA), as a violation of Right to Education (RTE) Act, which does not allow using services of teachers for any non-academic purposes.

Government school teachers in UP's Sultanpur district were asked by education authorities to make preparations for the state government's ambitious 'mass marriages' scheme.

Sultanpur's Basic Education Officer (BSA), issued an order (copy is with TOI) on February 22 directing education officers to send five teachers, male and female, from four education blocks - Dubeypur, Bhadaiyan, Kurwar, and Kuremar - to participate in the mass wedding on Saturday.

When questioned, BSA Sultanpur Kaustubh Kumar Singh told TOI, "There were no orders from the government to engage teachers in mass wedding. We deployed teachers to guide the couples tying the knot."

A similar order had been earlier issued by education department in Varanasi on February 16, asking instructors to attend the mass marriage on February 18, and help in making rangoli at the venue - DLW grounds.

When contacted, basic sshiksha adhikari Varanasi, Brij Bhushan Chaudhary, said, "It was a public event, and we took an initiative to extend help. We have instructors who make good rangoli at the wedding."