In a stunning revelation that has ignited rampant debate among Rajasthan's education fraternity, Education Minister Madan Dilawar accused a government school teacher from Banswara of trying to bribe him to get a seat on the state-level review committee for curriculum.
The incident is said to have taken place at a public hearing at Dilawar's official residence in Jaipur. The concerned teacher, Chandrakant Vaishnav, who is currently deputed at the Government Upper Primary School in Budha, Ghatol block, went up to the minister with a box of sweets, an envelope, his biodata, and a formal application asking to be included in the prestigious committee.
"I first thought that there was a recommendation letter in the envelope. But my photographer Bharat later told me that there was money inside. On opening, I found Rs 5,000 in cash. I was then going to Ramgarh Dam, but I told my staff to hold the teacher in place and immediately informed the police," said Minister Dilawar at a press conference on Monday.
The issue quickly snowballed. The Education Department suspended Vaishnav on the same day and started disciplinary proceedings on the grounds that while the bribe attempt itself was unethical, Vaishnav, being a Grade-3 teacher, was not even qualified to be on the curriculum review committee, which is meant for teachers of Grade-1 only.
The accused were also taken into custody by police, and the case has now been transferred to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for further probe.
Appearing shaken by the encounter, Dilawar said, "In my 35-36 years of political life, I have never faced such an incident.
This case causes major doubts regarding Rajasthan's education system in matters of corruption, particularly in high-stakes academic committees tasked with determining the curriculum for the state. It also points toward the necessity of transparency, ethical hiring, and strict application of eligibility standards in education administration
