Rajasthan Congress marches against school entry ban, targets deaf-mute institution
Synopsis
Rajasthan's Congress Legislature Party turned a school entry ban into a political flashpoint — marching from a deaf-mute school where plaster had fallen on a student, to the Legislative Assembly on its opening day. The protest links a contentious Education Department directive to a campus in visible disrepair, putting the ruling government on the defensive on two fronts simultaneously.
Key Takeaways
Congress Legislature Party led by Tikaram Jully staged a civil disobedience march in Jaipur on 20 August against the Education Department's new school entry and photography ban.
Police stopped Congress leaders at the gate of the Government Seth Anandilal Poddar Senior Secondary School for the Deaf and Mute , citing the new directive.
More than 100 students at the same school had earlier held a sit-in after plaster fell from a classroom ceiling and struck a student.
School principal Bharat Joshi was relieved of his duties with immediate effect following the student protest.
Congress has said it will raise education accountability issues throughout the ongoing Rajasthan Assembly session .
The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Rajasthan, led by Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully, on Thursday, 20 August staged a civil disobedience march from the Government Seth Anandilal Poddar Senior Secondary School for the Deaf and Mute at Trimurti Circle, Jaipur, to the Legislative Assembly, protesting the Education Department's new directive that restricts entry and bans photography and videography in government schools without prior permission. The march coincided with the opening day of the Assembly session.
How the Protest Unfolded
Jully, accompanied by Congress MLAs and senior party leaders, arrived at the Poddar School to inspect what the party described as a reportedly dilapidated campus with inadequate basic facilities. Police stopped the delegation at the school's main gate, citing the newly issued government directive.
Objecting to being barred entry, Jully and the Congress leaders staged a demonstration outside the school before the entire CLP joined the march toward the Legislative Assembly. The party said it intends to raise broader concerns about the state of Rajasthan's government education system during the ongoing session.
What the Directive Says
The Education Department's directive prohibits unauthorised entry into government schools and bans photography and videography on school premises without prior official permission. The Opposition has alleged that the order effectively prevents elected representatives from freely inspecting state-run educational institutions — a function they argue falls within their constitutional mandate.
The Poddar School's Troubled Recent Past
The choice of venue was deliberate. The Poddar School has recently been at the centre of a student protest over poor infrastructure and alleged neglect of basic facilities. More than 100 students staged a sit-in outside the school after plaster reportedly fell from a classroom ceiling and struck a student, raising serious campus safety concerns.
The students — who are deaf and mute and conveyed their grievances through sign language, placards, and written messages — demanded improvement of hostel facilities, adequate food and sanitation, better teaching arrangements, action against an alleged staff member, and access to teachers proficient in Indian Sign Language. They also flagged the poor condition of toilets.
Official Response So Far
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and LoP Jully had earlier visited the school and met the protesting students. Gehlot called for government intervention to address their grievances. Following the student protest, Education Department officials visited the campus. Chief Block Education Officer Asha Gupta met the students and assured them their concerns would be addressed. She also confirmed that school principal Bharat Joshi had been relieved of his duties with immediate effect.
What Congress Plans Next
The party has stated it will continue pressing education-related issues throughout the Assembly session and will seek accountability from the state government over the condition of government schools and the new restrictions on access and media coverage. With the session now under way, the directive and the Poddar School's condition are set to become flashpoints on the Assembly floor.
Point of View
But its timing — enforced on the very day the Assembly session opens — hands the Opposition a ready-made narrative. By choosing the Poddar School, a campus already in the news for crumbling infrastructure and student protests, the Congress has maximised optics. The deeper issue is whether elected representatives should require prior permission to inspect publicly funded institutions; that question has constitutional weight that a procedural directive cannot easily dismiss. The government's silence on that specific point will be harder to sustain once the debate moves inside the Assembly.
NationPress
20 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Rajasthan Congress stage a march on 20 August?
The Congress Legislature Party marched from the Government Seth Anandilal Poddar Senior Secondary School for the Deaf and Mute to the Legislative Assembly on 20 August to protest an Education Department directive that restricts entry into government schools and bans photography and videography without prior permission. The party argued the order prevents elected representatives from inspecting state-run institutions.
What is the Education Department directive that triggered the protest?
The directive prohibits unauthorised entry into government schools and bans photography and videography on school premises without prior official permission. The Opposition has alleged it effectively blocks MLAs from freely visiting and scrutinising government educational institutions.
What had happened at the Poddar Deaf-Mute School before the march?
More than 100 students at the school had staged a sit-in after plaster reportedly fell from a classroom ceiling and struck a student. They demanded better hostel facilities, food, sanitation, access to Indian Sign Language teachers, and action against an alleged staff member.
What action was taken after the student protest at the Poddar School?
Chief Block Education Officer Asha Gupta visited the school, met the students, and assured them their concerns would be addressed. School principal Bharat Joshi was relieved of his duties with immediate effect.
What does Congress plan to do next?
The Congress has stated it will continue raising education-related issues during the ongoing Rajasthan Assembly session and will seek accountability from the state government over both the condition of government schools and the new restrictions on access and media coverage.
