The Kerala General Education Department has suspended a school teacher following a controversy over an answer in a Social Science Club Freedom Quiz 2026 questionnaire that described Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar as the freedom fighter who received the “maximum punishment” at the hands of the British, officials said.
The questionnaire was reportedly used in schools in Kasaragod district and the disputed question appeared in the Lower Primary section of the quiz. Director of General Education Snehil Kumar Singh issued an order directing the immediate suspension of Guru Prasad, a teacher at Aided Upper Primary School (AUPS) Pallathadka in the Kumbla sub-district of Kasaragod.
According to officials, the suspension followed a report submitted by the Deputy Director of Education, Kasaragod, after an inquiry was conducted into the preparation and circulation of the controversial questionnaire.
The school-level Social Science Club Freedom Quiz 2026 was conducted on August 6 for students from Lower Primary, Upper Primary and High School sections in schools under the Kumbla and Manjeshwar sub-districts.
The Lower Primary questionnaire contained 15 questions along with five tie-breaker questions. The fifth question asked: “Who is the freedom fighter who received the maximum punishment at the hands of the British?” V D Savarkar was listed as the answer, officials said.
The wording of the question and the answer attributed to it triggered controversy and protests, following which education authorities ordered an inquiry into the matter. The controversy subsequently became a political issue, with the CPI(M) and Left-affiliated student and youth organisations criticising the state government and accusing the Congress-led UDF government of allowing what they described as the “Sangh Parivar agenda” to enter the education sector.
CPI(M) veteran and former Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also criticised the government over the issue. Vijayan accused the UDF government of “colluding” with the RSS and alleged that attempts were being made to conceal what he described as Savarkar’s “real history” while portraying him in a favourable manner.
The General Education Department’s order said the disputed question paper had been prepared by a team of teachers led by Guru Prasad. Following the inquiry, the Deputy Director of Education recommended disciplinary action against the teachers responsible for preparing the questionnaire.
The department has also directed the manager of the school to initiate departmental disciplinary proceedings against Guru Prasad under the provisions of the Kerala Education Rules. The suspension is separate from the departmental proceedings, which will determine whether further action is warranted against the teacher involved.
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Authorities have ordered a detailed inquiry into the entire matter and instructed the Deputy Director of Education to submit an action-taken report after completing the prescribed procedures.
The controversy has also renewed debate over the manner in which historical and political figures are presented in educational material, particularly in school-level quizzes and extracurricular activities. Such content is expected to undergo appropriate scrutiny before being distributed to students.
The education department’s decision to initiate disciplinary proceedings indicates that authorities are treating the issue as a matter of concern in the preparation and approval of educational material. Further action will depend on the findings of the detailed inquiry and the departmental proceedings.
The incident has meanwhile triggered a wider political debate in Kerala over the representation of freedom fighters and historical figures in educational institutions, with rival political groups offering sharply different interpretations of the controversy.
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