The Kerala government has directed all district collectors to ensure that the National Population Register is not mentioned while sending communications related to Census 2021.

K.R. Jyothilal, principal secretary, general administration department, has asked the collectors to personally ensure this as the government had last month stayed all matters relating to NPR operations in the state, which were to be conducted along with the first phase of the 2021 census operations.

The letter was issued as it had come to the government’s notice that some census officials were mentioning NPR operations too while sending communications related to Census 2021.

The secretary also directed the collectors to take stern disciplinary action against officials who fail to follow the directive.

The Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front had accused the Left-led government of “secretly” collecting details for the NPR against the backdrop of the census.

Go to Pak: Teacher

A teacher of a government girls school at Kodungallur in Kerala has been suspended after he allegedly asked students to go to Pakistan if they were not willing to accept the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

The action was taken against the Hindi teacher Kaleshan on Thursday, after the deputy director of the education department in Thrissur inquired into the incident following a complaint filed by the father of a student through social media, officials said.

According to the education department, Kaleshan, who was suspended pending inquiry, had entered a class and addressed the students on the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Kaleshan told them that if they were not willing to accept the new law, they should move to Pakistan.

Several students had also complained to the headmaster of the school against the teacher, who allegedly used to make sexually charged comments to the students, the officials said.

The teacher was suspended after a disciplinary committee found substance in the allegations against the teacher, the officials added.