Doubts Cast on Govt Girls School Principal's Credentials; Avoidance Raises Concerns

A student at Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Silchar has sparked attention by calling for an investigation into the credibility of the school principal’s qualifications. Afsana Begam Sadiyal, a student at the school, has written a complaint addressed to the Education Minister, Assam, The Director of Secondary Education, Assam, The District Commissioner, Cachar, and the Inspector of Schools, Cachar.

In her letter, Sadiyal alleges that the principal, Bibhas Chakraborty, has been engaged in various questionable activities since assuming the position in 2022. She claims that Chakraborty was implicated in a scandal involving funds from the Sarvasiksha Abhiyan and faced repercussions as a result. Furthermore, she asserts that the principal attempted to unlawfully collect examination fees from students, only returning the money when confronted by parents.

Sadiyal argues that Chakraborty is unfit to hold the position of principal and calls for an investigation into the validity of his academic credentials. Specifically, she questions the legitimacy of his Master’s Degree in Education from Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture Technology and Science in Uttar Pradesh. She notes that while the institution is referred to as a “deemed to be university,” it is not recognised as such by the law.

To support her case, Sadiyal references a previous incident at Swarnalakshmi Higher Secondary School in Narsingpur, where a former principal, Bijan Nath, was dismissed due to holding a degree from the same university. Nath’s dismissal was ordered by the Guwahati High Court, which deemed degrees from the university invalid outside of its campus.

She highlighted the decision of the court and shared a transcript of the court’s statement on that matter “University is a deemed university and its operation is limited within its own campus and not beyond that. Therefore, the degree obtained by respondent No. 7 from the said University is no degree in the eyes of law. Consequently, the appointment of the said respondent No. 7 cannot be countenanced in law.”

Sadiyal concludes her letter by urging authorities to take action against Chakraborty, emphasising that the school’s best interests lie in his removal from the position of principal. She believes that such a decision would pave the way for the school’s further development and improvement.

When contacted, Principal Bibhas Chakraborty avoided the call, stating that he was attending a wedding party and couldn’t talk at the moment. However, DC Cachar, Rohan Kumar Jha mentioned that as far as he knew, no complaint had been received yet. He added that he would need to verify the matter further at his office to be certain.