Thiruvananthapuram: The Higher Education Department in Kerala has landed in controversy after a circular directing the collection of data on priests and nuns working in colleges surfaced echoing a similar row that recently rocked the General Education Department.
This time, the controversy stems from a circular issued on June 6 by the Deputy Director of Collegiate Education in Thrissur, asking aided colleges under Thrissur and Palakkad districts to compile and submit detailed information about clergy members specifically, how many priests and nuns are working in the colleges under its jurisdiction.
The directive, which has now drawn public and political criticism, claims to be in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by an individual named K. Abdul Kalam. The RTI request reportedly sought answers to six questions, including the number of clergy staff and their respective income tax contributions from 2020-21 to 2024-25. Colleges were given a deadline to furnish this information to the Deputy Directorate.
This move has sparked renewed accusations of religious profiling and targeting, especially since it comes just months after four officials in the General Education Department were suspended for issuing a similar directive based on religious identity. The earlier controversy had led to a formal complaint being lodged with the Director General of Police (DGP) by the Education Ministry, alleging that the RTI was motivated by communal provocation and intended to spread religious discord.
In the previous instance, the Public Education Department, under instructions from Education Minister V. Sivankutty, had taken strong action against K. Abdul Kalam, who was accused of filing baseless and inflammatory claims. His complaint had alleged that Christian government employees were deliberately evading income tax and misusing government benefits, a claim the government denounced as unfounded and inciting religious hatred.
What has further fueled public outrage is that the same individual is now involved in yet another attempt to extract similar data from a different wing of the state education system. This repetition of action despite police intervention in the previous case has raised questions over whether government mechanisms are being misused under the guise of RTI laws to target specific religious communities.
The circular from the Higher Education Department has reignited debates over the boundaries of transparency and privacy, especially when RTI is used in ways that could threaten communal harmony. With growing public concern and political scrutiny, it remains to be seen how the state government and educational authorities will respond to this renewed controversy.