Around 400 students of Classes 9 to 12 at Swami Atmanand English Medium School in Pendrawan, Durg district, staged a road blockade for nearly 12 hours over a shortage of teachers. The protest, which began on Tuesday afternoon on the Khairagarh-Dhamdha main road, continued until around midnight before the students agreed to withdraw it following assurances from the administration and a phone conversation with School Education Minister Gajendra Yadav.

The students were demanding adequate teaching staff at the school, claiming that only three teachers and a principal were available for around 400 students. According to the students, the school needs at least 17 teachers, particularly for Arts and Commerce, to ensure regular classes and timely completion of the syllabus.

Students Demand More Teachers

The students said the shortage has affected classroom teaching and examination preparation. They argued that with so few teachers available, completing the syllabus on time has become difficult.

The protest was not the first such demonstration. Students had also staged a protest and road blockade on August 21 over the same issue. Following discussions with officials, they expected teachers to be arranged soon. However, with their main demand still unresolved by August 25, the students returned to the road.

Officials Reach Protest Site

Several officials, including the SDOP, tehsildar, SDM and an assistant director from the School Education Department, reached the spot and attempted to persuade the students to end the blockade.

The students, however, remained firm and demanded intervention at a higher level. They wanted to meet either the collector or the education minister and insisted that the teacher shortage be addressed.

The prolonged protest also led to arrangements being made for food for the students during the demonstration.

Four Teachers Arranged

Following discussions and assurances, the authorities arranged four additional teachers for the school. With the new appointments, the school is expected to have a total of seven teachers.

The department also assured the students that arrangements would be made for a Commerce teacher soon, as the shortage of teachers in the subject was among their major concerns.

However, this falls short of the students' demand for 17 teachers.

Principal Removed, New One Appointed

The administration also agreed to remove the existing principal and appoint a new principal at the school.

Another decision taken after the students' protest was to discontinue the open-school arrangement operating at the institution from the next academic session.

The measures were presented to the students during discussions as part of the effort to address their concerns and restore regular academic functioning.

Protest Ends Around Midnight

The students eventually ended the road blockade at around midnight after speaking to Education Minister Gajendra Yadav over the phone and receiving assurances regarding their demands.

The protest had lasted for nearly 12 hours, with the students maintaining that they did not want to remain on the road but were compelled to protest because of concerns over their education.

The incident has again brought attention to teacher shortages in government schools in the Durg region. Pendrawan falls in the Dhamdha area of Durg district, where students have previously raised concerns regarding staffing and academic facilities.

A contractual teacher posted at a Swami Atmanand School in Chhattisgarh’s Surguja district has been dismissed from service after he was allegedly found in an objectionable situation with a college student. The action was taken by the District Education Officer (DEO) after an official inquiry confirmed the teacher’s identity in a viral video linked to the incident.

The case has attracted significant attention across the region and has become a major India News Update related to educational institutions and conduct of government employees. According to officials, the incident took place on the night of April 20 near the Lankadand forest area in Sarmana. Local youths reportedly noticed a parked car near the roadside around 1 am and approached the location out of suspicion.

When they reached the spot, they allegedly found Suresh Jaiswal, a contractual teacher posted at the Swami Atmanand School in Batouli, inside the vehicle along with a college student in an objectionable condition. The youths reportedly recorded videos of the incident using mobile phones. The footage later circulated widely on social media platforms, drawing public attention and triggering demands for action against the teacher.

Officials said the incident led to criticism from local groups and political representatives, after which complaints were submitted to the education department seeking disciplinary action. Following the controversy, the Surguja District Education Officer initially removed the teacher from the school and attached him temporarily to the Block Education Officer’s office in Udaipur pending investigation.

The district administration later constituted an inquiry committee to examine the allegations and verify the authenticity of the viral video. The committee reportedly included Batouli Block Education Officer Sharad Chandra Meshpal, the Sitapur BEO and the principal of Sedam High School. During the investigation, officials examined the viral footage and questioned the teacher regarding his presence at the location during late-night hours.

According to the inquiry report, the investigation confirmed that the individual seen in the viral video was indeed Suresh Kumar Jaiswal. Officials also verified that the vehicle found near the forest area belonged to him. Sources associated with the inquiry stated that when questioned, the teacher could not provide a satisfactory explanation regarding why he was present in the forest area late at night with the student. The inquiry report further stated that the incident had adversely affected the reputation of the school and damaged the image of the education department.

Based on the findings, District Education Officer Dinesh Kumar Jha issued a show-cause notice to the teacher seeking clarification. Officials said the response submitted by the teacher was found unsatisfactory. After reviewing the inquiry report and the reply to the notice, the DEO terminated the contractual appointment of Suresh Kumar Jaiswal.

Education department officials stated that teachers are expected to maintain professional conduct and public confidence, especially while serving in educational institutions associated with students and families. The incident has sparked debate across Surguja district regarding ethics and accountability among teaching staff in schools and colleges.

At the same time, concerns were also raised regarding the manner in which the video was recorded and circulated on social media. Some local residents and social observers argued that privacy issues and the conduct of individuals recording the video should also be examined carefully. Authorities, however, focused their disciplinary proceedings specifically on the conduct of the teacher as a government-appointed contractual employee.

Political reactions also emerged after the video surfaced online. BJP leaders reportedly submitted complaints demanding strict action against the teacher, following which the education department accelerated the inquiry process. Officials stated that disciplinary measures were necessary to preserve the credibility of educational institutions and maintain public trust in the school system.

The case has become one of the widely discussed Public Interest Story developments in Chhattisgarh and continues to trend on social media platforms. Observers believe the incident highlights the growing impact of viral videos and digital evidence in administrative and disciplinary proceedings involving government employees. Education department sources indicated that schools and district authorities may now review conduct guidelines and monitoring mechanisms to avoid similar controversies in the future.

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