Teacher Suspended Over Savarkar Answer in Kerala School Quiz
The question in a school quiz asked, "Who is the freedom fighter who received the maximum punishment at the hands of the British?" and listed V D Savarkar as the answer
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala General Education Department on Sunday ordered the suspension of a school teacher over a controversial 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".
The questionnaire was used in schools in Kasaragod district, officials said.
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 Kumbla sub-district of Kasaragod.
As per the order, the action followed a report submitted by the Deputy Director of Education, Kasaragod, after an inquiry into the controversy.
According to officials, the school-level Social Science Club Freedom Quiz 2026 was conducted on August 6 for students in the Lower Primary, Upper Primary and High School sections in schools under the Kumbla and Manjeshwar sub-districts.
The Lower Primary section questionnaire contained 15 questions and five tie-breaker questions.
The fifth question asked, "Who is the freedom fighter who received the maximum punishment at the hands of the British?" and listed V D Savarkar as the answer, officials said.
The answer “VD Savarkar” given in the quiz as the correct option is historically incorrect, as multiple freedom fighters were given capital punishment by the British, including Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar, Ram Prasad Bismil, Ashfaqulla Khan, Rajendranath Lahiri, and Roshan Singh, Mangal Pandey, Hemu Kalani.
As for freedom fighters who spent most years in jail, that also is not historically VD Savarkar, who spent a total of 14 years in jail) and is Bira Surendra Sai, who spent over 36 years in prison for revolting against British rule.
‘RSS Agenda’
The question and answer prepared by Guru Prasad triggered controversy and widespread protests, prompting the education authorities to initiate an inquiry.
The issue drew criticism from the CPI(M) and Left student and youth organisations, which accused the Congress-led UDF government of allowing the "Sangh Parivar agenda" to enter the education sector.
CPI(M) veteran Pinarayi Vijayan accused the UDF government of "colluding" with the RSS and alleged that attempts were being made to hide Savarkar's "real history" and glorify him.
According to the Director of General Education's order, the question paper was prepared by a team of teachers led by Guru Prasad.
The Deputy Director of Education recommended disciplinary action against the teachers responsible after the inquiry.
The General Education Department has also directed the manager of the school to initiate departmental disciplinary proceedings against Guru Prasad under Kerala Education Rules.
The department has ordered a detailed inquiry into the matter and directed the Deputy Director of Education to submit an action-taken report after completing the necessary procedures.