A government school teacher, Jogendra Singh, was transferred for giving an interview to a digital media platform.
THE ACTION: The transfer followed his interview where he highlighted villagers’ grievances (specifically, issues caused by heavy rain) in his area of posting.
THE GOVERNMENT’S STANCE: The state argued that, under the rules of conduct for government employees, making statements on public platforms is “strictly prohibited.” They claimed any grievance must be addressed internally.
THE HIGH COURT’S RULING: The Uttarakhand High Court’s single bench, headed by Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari, adopted a balanced approach:
It acknowledged the rule of conduct.
Crucially, it directed officials to “adopt a lenient approach” since this was the teacher’s first alleged instance of speaking to a public platform and his statements were focused on residents’ genuine, non-political grievances.
THE TAKEAWAY: The court sided with a degree of leniency, subtly balancing the need for public employee discipline with the fundamental right of a citizen to raise local issues in the interest of the community. It suggests that raising genuine public issues should not automatically lead to harsh punitive action.
