'Action' against MP teacher who remained absent for 23 years

A 46-year-old school teacher from Madhya Pradesh has created a record by remaining absent for the last 23 years in her 24-year-old long 'career', after which the school education department claimed to have formally initiated what it called "disciplinary action" against her.

"Out of her total 24-year-long career, teacher Sangita Kashyap remained absent for 23 years," Government Ahilya Ashram School's (Number 1) Principal Sushma Vaishya told PTI here today.

Sangita had joined the Madhya Pradesh school education department in 1990 as a school teacher in Dewas's Government Maharani Radhabai Kanya Vidyalaya, she said. However, Sangita went on leave from 1991 to 1994, Vaishya said.

In 1994, Sangita was transferred to Indore's Ahilya Ashram School, but during the same year she went on "maternity leave" and never reported for duty ever since, the principal said.

Similarly, another higher grade school teacher called Rachna Dube (42) had applied for leave to "do her doctorate (PhD)" about ten years ago, but till date she too never reported for duty, she said.

Principal Vaidya said that several times the school had sent these school teachers letters about their absence, but they returned undelivered. The school had informed the District Education Officer (DEO) about it, she said.

The DEO claimed that his office had already sent papers related to taking "disciplinary action" against both these school teachers to the office of the joint director of the Madhya Pradesh school education department.