Bhubaneswar: A Sikshya Sahayak under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in Jagatsinghpur district has been terminated from service after his Scheduled Caste (SC) certificate was cancelled following a detailed inquiry by the district administration.
The District Project Office, Jagatsinghpur, issued the termination order after the Collector-cum-Chief Executive Officer found discrepancies in the caste claim of the teacher, leading to cancellation of the certificate earlier issued in his favour.
According to officials, Susanta Kumar Mandal, a resident of Goda (Bhajakhia) under Erasama block, was appointed as a Sikshya Sahayak in 2007 under the SC reserved category. His appointment was made on the basis of a caste certificate issued by the competent revenue authority during the recruitment process conducted in 2006.
Since his appointment, he had been serving as an untrained teacher under the SSA scheme at B.B. Government High School, Goda.
The matter came under judicial scrutiny following proceedings before the High Court of Orissa in W.P.(C) No. 37762 of 2025. Acting on the court’s direction, the Collector-cum-Chief Executive Officer, Jagatsinghpur, re-examined the caste status of the individual after granting him an opportunity of hearing along with other concerned parties.
Following a detailed inquiry, the Collector, in an order dated May 14, 2026, held that the petitioner belongs to the “Tanti” community and not the “Pana Tanti” category, which is recognised under the Scheduled Caste list in Odisha. Based on this finding, the earlier caste certificate was cancelled.
Officials stated that the teacher had secured appointment under the SC reserved category on the basis of an incorrect caste claim. This was held to be a case of misrepresentation and violation of eligibility norms at the time of recruitment.
Following the cancellation of the certificate, the District Project Office declared the engagement of the Sikshya Sahayak invalid and ordered his removal from service with immediate effect.
