The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the Telangana government following a complaint that a private educational institution in Hyderabad made Islamic religious lessons and prayers mandatory for its students, according to media reports. An NHRC bench led by member Priyank Kanoongo took cognisance of the matter and requested a formal response from state authorities, instructing officials to investigate the allegations and submit their findings.
The complaint centres on "Success the Junior College" in Saidabad, Hyderabad, which allegedly set Islamic religious lessons and prayers as compulsory homework through official school diaries. According to the complainant, students were expected to complete these religious tasks regardless of their own faith.
The issue gained wider attention and sparked controversy after photographs of a Class 2 student's homework diary circulated on social media. The child, who is Hindu, attends Success, The School in the Sayeedabad locality of Hyderabad.
The diary entries, dated July 11, reportedly instructed the student to "Read 1,2 Kalma" and "Read Surah Fateha" under a subject listed as "Deeniyath". These instructions were written alongside routine assignments for subjects like Mathematics and Computer Studies, and the page reportedly bore the teacher's signature.
Following complaints from parents that their child had been asked to recite the Kalma and Surah Fateha as part of regular schoolwork, the school management dismissed the teacher involved, identified as Shaik Aisha Parveen.
In a formal termination letter, the school administration stated that Parveen had been dismissed with immediate effect and permanently barred from seeking employment at any institution run by the Success Group of Education Institutions.
While the allegations have sparked intense debate across social media, official investigations into the complaint are still ongoing, and authorities have yet to release their final findings.
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