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Unacademy faces backlash for firing tutor who urged ‘vote for educated’

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.

Simran
Unacademy terminates teacher after viral video advocating educated politicians,Twitter reacts

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

Karan Sangwan announced that he will address the controversy on his YouTube channel on August 19.