A government school teacher in Andhra Pradesh has been suspended after a video circulated online showing her seated and speaking on the phone while young students massaged her feet. The incident occurred at the Bandapalli Girls’ Tribal Ashram School in Meliyaputti mandal, Srikakulam district, and the footage quickly gained traction on social media, triggering official intervention.
Authorities reacted immediately. The Integrated Tribal Development Agency’s Seetampeta Project Officer, Pawar Swapnil Jagannath, issued a show-cause notice and initiated a formal inquiry. In her written response, the teacher asserted that she was experiencing severe knee pain due to a fall earlier in the day, and claimed that the children voluntarily assisted her, arguing that the video created a misleading narrative.
Despite her explanation, the emergence of additional video evidence led officials to order a fresh investigation. As a result, the teacher has been placed under suspension pending completion of the inquiry.
This case echoes a similar incident reported in February in East Godavari district, where another government teacher was suspended after a video surfaced of students being compelled to wash her car and perform other personal chores. The state education department has reiterated that compelling students to perform non-academic tasks breaches the Right to Education Act and is grounds for disciplinary action.
