Teacher ends life near Punjab minister’s house

Aspiring teacher Kirandeep Kaur immolated herself near the house of Punjab education minister Upinderjit Kaur in Kapurthala on Monday.

She, along with 30 others, had been staging a dharna for more than a fortnight demanding a notification allowing them to reappear for the 10+2 exam, so that they could improve their percentage of marks to become eligible for elementary teachers’ training. The training enables temporary teachers under the Sarv

Shiksha Abhiyan to become permanent. Kirandeep was among the more than 2,700 temporary teachers in the state. Five girls climbed atop a water tank during the state-level demonstration and threatened to commit suicide if their demand was not met immediately.

While senior district officials tried to dissuade them, Kirandeep sprinkled her clothes with petrol and set herself on fire. She soon died.

Senior officials said the government had taken an in-principle decision and would soon issue the notification. Terming the incident unfortunate, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal announced an ex gratia of Rs4 lakh to Kirandeep’s kin.