No mobile phones inside classroom, Haridwar DM tells teachers

Haridwar (Uttarakhand) [India], March 23 (ANI): The district administration of Uttarakhand's Haridwar has issued an order prohibiting the school teachers from carrying mobile phones inside the classrooms.
District Magistrate, Vinay Shankar Pandey warned of "strict disciplinary action" if the teachers are found to be in possession of their mobile phones inside the classrooms.
This will be applicable to all government and private educational institutes in the district, Pandey said.
According to the order, the teachers will have to submit their phones in the Principal's room before entering the classrooms.
"We have been observing for quite some time that the teachers were busy with their mobile phones even in the classrooms. We have taken cognisance of their activities such as playing games, chatting. We have been receiving complaints about quite some time from the parents as well as the students. We sent our magistrates to verify the complaints. We have issued an order that the teachers can carry their mobile phones to the schools but they have to deposit them in the Principal's room. They would enter the classroom without their mobile phones," Pandey told ANI.

However, the DM informed that an exception can be made in the case of a medical emergency in the teacher's family.
"It would be the responsibility of the Principal to ensure its implementation. However, under special circumstances like a medical emergency in the family, a teacher can seek permission from the Principal and keep his/her phone," he added.
"In our surprise inspection, if any teacher is found to be using mobile phones or keeping phone inside the classroom, strict disciplinary action would be taken against them and the Principal would also have to take responsibility for the same. The order would be implemented in all the educational institutes in the district," he said. (ANI)