Crime Today News
The Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday ordered the removal of the Baramulla chief education officer from his post, days after he issued a circular warning that social media posts on policy matters could lead to the withholding of pay or termination, The Indian Express reported.
In a circular on Saturday, Chief Education Officer Bashir Ahmad Shah said that School Education Secretary Ram Niwas Sharma had, in a review meeting a day earlier, noted “instances of misuse of social media platforms by teaching and non-teaching staff of the department, thereby suggesting/interfering in the policy matters of the department”.
Shah said that Sharma asked all the chief education officers to bring to the notice of the administration any such violation “without fail in order to fix the responsibility and act under government instructions”.
In an already numb Jammu & 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… pic.twitter.com/DWCwmmNxtf
— Waheed Para (@parawahid) October 5, 2025
The circular added that an “elaborate set of guidelines” on the use of social media by government employees had been issued. It also outlined punishments for such violations, including the withholding of pay, premature retirement and termination from service.
Shah said that teaching and non-teaching staff could use social media for “positive and constructive purposes”, The Indian Express reported.
On Monday, Sharma issued an order attaching Shah to the Kashmir Directorate of Education, pending an inquiry.
Sharing a copy of Shah’s circular, People’s Democratic Party MLA Waheed Para said that the direction stopped the public from “raising their voices”. He demanded its immediate 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,” the Pulwama legislator said on social media.
He added that the National Conference government 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.
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