U.P: Teacher suspended after Urdu signage on school gate goes viral

June 4, 2025 by News Desk

The Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) of Bijnor district, Yogendra Kumar, has suspended Rafat Khan, the headmistress of Primary School Sahanpur II, for allegedly getting the school’s name written in both Hindi and Urdu on the main entrance of the building.

According to the suspension order, the BSA acted after photos of the school signage, displaying the name in Urdu alongside Hindi, went viral on social media. The BSA stated that “prima facie, the headmistress has been found responsible” and was therefore suspended with immediate effect.

Rafat Khan has been attached to the Block Resource Centre (BRC) office in Najibabad during the period of her suspension.

In the preliminary inquiry initiated by the education department following the controversy, officials claimed that the Urdu text was no longer visible on the school gate at the time of inspection. However, the images circulating online indicated otherwise, sparking a debate.

No official comment has yet been made by Rafat Khan. However, the suspension has drawn attention on social media, with many questioning the action against a teacher over the use of a constitutionally recognized language.

The BSA has not cited any specific rule violated by the display of Urdu on the school signage, but maintained that the action was taken based on the virality and “unauthorized addition” to the school’s display board.