2 girl students allegedly stripped by teacher for scoring low marks in English test

Two girl students of class six were reportedly stripped by a female teacher in the class on Tuesday (1 August) as a punishment for scoring low marks in the English test paper. The incident happened in a private secondary school in Roorkee city of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand.

The police have registered a case under section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code against the female teacher after parents of the students protested. The section carries imprisonment for one year, or a fine, or even both.

"Parents of both girls alleged that the teacher first reprimanded their daughters and then took off their shirts in front of the entire class as they had performed poorly in an English test. When the girls reported the incident to their parents, they went to the school and protested against the teacher. A police officer reached the spot and pacified the parents." Manikant Mishra, superintendent of police (rural), told the Times of India newspaper.

"We have registered a case against the teacher under section 509 of the IPC."

The incident has made the state education department to ask schools in the district near Roorkee to introduce training courses for teachers on "appropriate conduct".

Braham Pal Singh Saini, district education officer (basic), said, "We have taken cognizance of the incident and asked the school to remove the teacher. We are also issuing an advisory to all schools, asking them to start training courses for teachers on appropriate conduct."