In a major crackdown on alleged corruption and administrative lapses within the Education Department, 12 different teams conducted surprise inspections at the offices of the Joint Directors of Bengaluru Division and the Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI), Bengaluru North, on December 3.
The inspection, carried out following a previous inspection and regular complaints, revealed a series of serious irregularities, misuse of funds, and violations of government rules. The police teams, accompanied by both judicial and police officers of Lokayukta, inspected the offices.
According to a statement from the ombudsman, the checks revealed violations in the procurement of electronic equipment for government schools, questionable transfers of teachers, poor maintenance of government property, unattended complaints, and dysfunctional administrative systems.
One of the major irregularities was observed in the purchasing of laptops, projectors, UPS units, and computers meant for 19 government schools in the Bengaluru North division. Although the Technical Approval Panel (TAP) had approved specific configurations, physical verification by the Lokayukta revealed that the supplied items did not match the approved specifications.
The statement noted that each computer was overpriced by about ₹10,000, UPS units by ₹30,000–40,000, and LED smart TVs by ₹15,000. The installation reports were incomplete, and many schools had missing items.
During video calls with school headmasters, Lokayukta teams found that headmasters were not present during school hours. Further, the teams also found the DDPI office had inspected the supplied equipment. Prima facie, the police estimate a misappropriation of ₹20,000 to ₹30,000 per school. The statement noted that the Bengaluru North zone alone has 1,483 government schools.
The inspection also uncovered violations of the Karnataka State Civil Services (Regulation of Transfer of Teachers) Act, 2020. While the Act allows transfers only during April–May except under special government-approved circumstances, the Joint Director allegedly received 2,457 applications and executed 530 transfers between November 17 and 26. The move exceeded the 15% annual limit.
Administrative conditions at the offices were described as “pathetic”. According to the findings, the offices lacked basic amenities such as toilets, drinking water, lighting, CCTV systems, display boards, and biometric attendance. Furniture supplied by the government lay broken or unused, and garbage littered the premises. The Joint Director had allegedly not signed the attendance register for 15 days.
Further, out of 50 complaints received by the Joint Director’s office, 44 of them were against Group A and B officers, and most remained unattended.
At the DDPI North office, the police reported instances of misuse of funds, pending files, irregular maintenance of cash records, unauthorised storage of items, and multiple violations in handling zonal and regional administrative duties.
Published – December 05, 2025 11:23 pm IST
