2 weeks ago
Karnataka Tribunal Stays Teacher’s Suspension Over RSS Rally
Gururaj Joshi is a government school teacher in Karnataka.
He attended an RSS march on a Sunday.
The education department suspended him and said he had failed in his duties.
Joshi challenged that decision before a state tribunal.
The tribunal temporarily stopped the suspension.
It said the RSS is not a political party.
The tribunal also said attending the event did not break the relevant civil-service conduct rule.
The case concerns whether a government employee’s participation in such an event violated service rules.
The Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal stayed Gururaj Joshi’s suspension for attending RSS Path Sanchalan events.
Joshi, an assistant teacher, participated in rallies in Hunasagi and Talikote on Sunday, October 12, 2025.
The Department of School Education had called his conduct “dereliction of duty” and ordered disciplinary action.
The tribunal said the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is not a political party.
It ruled that Joshi’s participation did not violate Rule 5 of the Karnataka State Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 2021.
- Who
- Gururaj Joshi, an assistant teacher at the Government Girls’ High School in Hunasagi, and the Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal.
- What
- The tribunal stayed Joshi’s suspension for participating in RSS Path Sanchalan events.
- Where
- The events were held in Hunasagi in Yadgir district and Talikote in neighbouring Vijayapura district, Karnataka.
- When
- The events took place on October 12, 2025, a Sunday; the suspension order was issued on August 20, and the stay was reported as being issued on Wednesday.
- Why
- The tribunal found that the RSS is not a political party and that Joshi’s participation did not violate Rule 5 of the Karnataka State Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 2021.
Education Department’s Position
Tribunal’s Position
Whether the conduct warranted suspension
Education Department’s Position
The Department of School Education said Joshi’s conduct amounted to “dereliction of duty” and warranted disciplinary action.
Tribunal’s Position
The tribunal stayed the suspension, finding that the alleged participation did not violate the applicable conduct-rule conditions.
Status of the RSS
Education Department’s Position
The department’s suspension action concerned Joshi’s participation in an RSS-organised event.
Tribunal’s Position
The tribunal observed that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is not a political party, so participation in its event did not breach Rule 5 on that basis.
Key facts
- Teacher
- Gururaj Joshi, an assistant teacher
- School
- Government Girls’ High School, Hunasagi
- Events
- RSS Path Sanchalan events
- Event date
- October 12, 2025, a Sunday
- Locations
- Hunasagi, Yadgir district, and Talikote, Vijayapura district
- Suspension rationale
- The Department of School Education described the conduct as “dereliction of duty” warranting disciplinary action.
- Tribunal finding
- Participation in an event organised by a non-political party did not violate Rule 5 of the 2021 conduct rules.
Quotes
Karnataka State Administrative Tribunal bench headed by Judicial Member S. Y. Watawati
The tribunal bench that issued the order staying Gururaj Joshi’s suspension
“The alleged act of the applicant was that he has participated in the event organised by an association. When he participated in the event organised by a non-political party, the act of the applicant did not violate the conditions stipulated under Rule 5 of the Karnataka State Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 2021.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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