Viral dance video at Jharkhand school sparks action; headmaster suspended

Garhwa- The Jharkhand Education Department has taken strict disciplinary action after a video from a farewell event at a government school in Garhwa district went viral on social media.

The clip allegedly shows objectionable songs being played and inappropriate dancing taking place on the school premises.

Following a preliminary inquiry, the in-charge headmaster of the Middle School in Sohabaria village under Meral block has been suspended, while termination proceedings have been initiated against two assistant teachers over alleged misconduct.

District Education Officer Kaiser Raza said on Thursday that the action was taken after officials reviewed the viral video, which shows DJ music being played during a farewell programme for Class 8 students, with people dancing to objectionable songs on the campus.

The footage also shows some teachers participating in the dance and behaving inappropriately with female students.

Calling the incident a serious violation of school discipline and teacher conduct norms, the department suspended in-charge headmaster Kundan Kumar Ranjan with immediate effect under the provisions of the Jharkhand Government Servants Rules, 2016.

During the suspension period, Ranjan’s headquarters will remain at the office of the Area Education Officer in Garhwa. He will be required to mark his biometric attendance daily and will receive a subsistence allowance as per rules.

Authorities have also found the conduct of assistant teachers Purushottam Pandit and Subeshwar Ram to be a serious breach of discipline. As a result, the district education department has initiated proceedings to terminate their services under the Jharkhand Assistant Teacher Service Conditions Rules, 2021.

Officials said the farewell programme for outgoing Class 8 students included the use of a DJ system on the school campus. Videos from the event later circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism and prompting the authorities to order an inquiry.

A detailed investigation is currently underway, and officials said further action may be taken based on the findings.

With inputs from IANS