Should teachers just teach or do more? Rajya Sabha debates

New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha on Friday discussed whether or not services of school teachers should be availed during elections, census and other official work.

DMK leader Tiruchi Siva moved the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2015 (Amendment of article 324) in the house to advocate that teachers must not be engaged in non-teaching work.

He said the country does not have enough teachers to be engaged in non-teaching assignments.

"The quality of a nation depends on its citizens and citizens' quality depends on the kind of education they get," he said.

The DMK MP said education suffers when teachers are not around.

Siva also criticized Minister of State for Law and Justice P.P. Choudhary, who was not in favour of the bill, saying the minister debated the issue with a "closed mind".

Choudhary said elections in India were like festivals and there was no harm in involving teachers in the process.

"Elections in India are a celebration of our democracy. Students from other countries come to witness them. Not only teachers but students should be involved in the process," the minister said.

Choudhary said teachers were needed to conduct free and fair polls.

V. Vijaysai Reddy of YSR Congress supported Siva and said teachers should only teach and guide the young.

The bill got similar support from V. Thakur of the Congress.

"Teachers are being used as potatoes. As potatoes could be mixed with any vegetable. They too are being used for everything," she said.

The bill was supported by most MPs of opposition parties but was finally withdrawn after Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the DMK MP's concerns were "well-taken" and they would be addressed.

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