Meenangadi school excursion controversy: Tribunal stays principal's transfer

KALPETTA: The Kerala Administrative Tribunal has stayed the transfer of Shivi Krishnan, principal of Meenangadi Government Higher Secondary School, over the controversy surrounding a school excursion.

The transfer was ordered on the grounds that the trip had been conducted without following the prescribed rules and without obtaining prior permission. However, a copy of the application submitted by the school to the Regional Deputy Directorate of Higher Secondary Education (RDD) on August 14 had surfaced earlier, contradicting the claim that prior permission had not been sought.

Despite waiting for nearly two months, the school received no response to the application. The excursion to Hyderabad subsequently took place on October 25. School authorities had earlier stated that applications of this nature often do not receive timely responses and that the trip had proceeded under these circumstances.

The controversy erupted following allegations by students and parents that the principal and the PTA president of Meenangadi School had consumed alcohol. However, a medical examination confirmed that the principal had not consumed alcohol. Shivi Krishnan had maintained that some people were using footage immaturely recorded by students during the excursion for political purposes.

Students had also come forward stating that the principal was innocent and that they had not lodged any complaint against him. Meanwhile, students had been boycotting classes and staging protests against what they described as the unwarranted transfer of the principal.