Kerala HC stays teacher's suspension over Savarkar quiz row

The Kerala High Court on August 19, 2026, temporarily halted the suspension of a school teacher who was disciplined for including V.D. Savarkar as the answer to a quiz question about freedom fighters. Justice Viju Abraham granted a one-month stay on the suspension of Guruprasad Rai K., an upper primary school teacher from Kasaragod, while allowing the state's disciplinary proceedings against him to continue.

The controversy began in early August when Rai prepared questions for the Social Science Club Freedom Quiz 2026. One question asked students to identify the freedom fighter who received the maximum punishment from the British. The answer provided was V.D. Savarkar. The Kerala Education Department suspended Rai on August 9, following an outcry and protests from political groups. Education Minister N. Shamsudheen had earlier described the question as an "intentional distortion of history."

Rai challenged his suspension in court, arguing it was politically motivated and violated departmental rules. He maintained that the question and answer were not factually incorrect and that the action was taken because the answer was "not palatable to a section of society." He also stated...