Teacher dies by suicide in Gujarat’s Kodinar, cites stress from SIR duties in note

A heartbreaking incident from Kodinar in Gujarat’s Gir Somnath district has once again exposed the pressure on teachers deployed for election-related duties.

Arvind Vadhere, a teacher at Chhara Girls Primary School and a resident of Devali village, died by suicide, leaving behind a note directly blaming the stress of SIR (Special Intensive Revision) work.

Vadhere, who had been serving as a teacher since 2010, wrote in his note that he was exhausted and mentally burdened by the responsibilities of SIR duties. Teachers across the state have been assigned work as Booth Level Officers (BLOs).

The incident has sparked outrage and concern within the education community. Teachers argue that non-academic assignments are heavily affecting classroom learning, too.

This is the second case in just three days of a teacher dying. Earlier, in Kapadvanj, teacher Ramesh Parmar died of a heart attack while carrying out BLO responsibilities.

Following the Kodinar incident, teachers’ unions have strongly criticised the government, saying that excessive targets and pressure in BLO work are pushing teachers into severe stress.