New Delhi: An Unacademy tutor, Karan Sangwan, was let go by Unacademy after a video emerged in which he suggested students should support “educated leaders” instead of those emphasizing name changes.
.@unacademy forced a faculty to step down because he asked the students to vote for an educated leader.
How weird things can get in India under Narendra Modi #UninstallUnacademy pic.twitter.com/AYyt16alIC
— Kapil (@kapsology) August 17, 2023
The prominent ed-tech platform found itself in the midst of controversy after they dismissed Karan sighting this video as the reason for their dismissal. Co-founder of Unacademy, Karan Saini, stated that Sangwan’s dismissal was prompted by a breach of company rules.
In a statement shared on Thursday, Saini explained, “The classroom is not the appropriate venue to share personal opinions and views that could improperly influence students. Given the circumstances, we were compelled to part ways with Karan Sangwan as he violated our Code of Conduct.”
Twitter witnessed a surge of conversations critical of Unacademy’s action, which led to the termination of a tutor seen advising students to choose “educated leaders.” Numerous individuals, including opposition figures, have criticized the move, accusing the platform of stifling freedom of expression.
Supriya Shrinate, a spokesperson for the Congress party, demanded clarification from Unacademy’s founders and shared a picture of Unacademy founder Gaurav Munjal with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Shrinate remarked, “Those who succumb to pressure and bullying can never nurture citizens who stand up against challenges to confront the world. It’s disheartening to see such feeble individuals running an educational platform.”
Those who cower under pressure and get bullied can never help nurture citizens who stand up against all odds to take on this world.
Sad to see such spineless and weak people run an education platform.
Care to explain this though @RomanSaini @gauravmunjal pic.twitter.com/XFUdI5YJ8m
— Supriya Shrinate (@SupriyaShrinate) August 17, 2023
Priyanka Chaturvedi, a member of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Rajya Sabha MP, questioned the decision: “How can advocating for literate politicians be a biased opinion? Doesn’t this viewpoint positively influence young minds? It’s a shame that expressing this opinion led to someone losing their job at Unacademy.”
How does saying vote for literate politicians a biased opinion? Doesn’t that opinion positively influence young minds? Shame if merely expressing this view gets you to take someone’s job, Unacademy.
PS: Don’t understand why everyone felt Karan Sangwan, the professor’s opinion on… https://t.co/bbexnYhiOb
— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) August 18, 2023
Sanjay Hegde, a senior Supreme Court advocate, drew parallels between this incident and the Ashoka University controversy, stating, “When teachers can’t freely teach or learn, whether, on Unacademy or Ashoka University, it’s not a marketplace of ideas but a government-approved venture dealing in knowledge.”
Sabyasachi Das, an assistant professor at Ashoka University, had previously resigned after a controversy surrounding his research paper on the BJP’s electoral success in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.
Deepender Singh Hooda, a Congress MP in the Rajya Sabha, emphasized that people face harassment for raising questions. He lamented the humiliation teachers in the country are subjected to.
Y Satish Reddy, a leader of the Telangana-based Bharat Rashtra Samithi, criticized Unacademy’s “inappropriate” decision, demanding a thorough explanation for the tutor’s termination.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal posed a question: “Is it a crime to urge people to vote for educated individuals?” He stressed the importance of educated representatives in the era of science and technology.
क्या पढ़े लिखे लोगों को वोट देने की अपील करना अपराध है? यदि कोई अनपढ़ है, व्यक्तिगत तौर पर मैं उसका सम्मान करता हूँ। लेकिन जनप्रतिनिधि अनपढ़ नहीं हो सकते। ये साइंस और टेक्नोलॉजी का ज़माना है। 21वीं सदी के आधुनिक भारत का निर्माण अनपढ़ जनप्रतिनिधि कभी नहीं कर सकते। https://t.co/YPX4OCoRoZ
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) August 17, 2023
Karan Sangwan announced that he will address the controversy on his YouTube channel on August 19.
