Unacademy: A tutor from the online teaching site Unacademy was featured in a popular video. “Remember to choose an informed candidate the next time you cast your ballot so you won’t have to go through this (ordeal) again. Select a candidate with knowledge of the issues. Vote against someone who simply knows how to change names. Make the right choice,” Karan Sangwan advised his students as he explained the most current legislation the government had introduced to restructure the nation’s criminal justice system. Karan Sangwan is a tutor with the online teaching platform Unacademy. After a video of these remarks went viral on social media and sparked a debate, the e-learning company fired Sangawan on the grounds of contract breach.
Unacademy Tutor’s Remarks Spark Debate
Sangwan was talking about the most recent criminal law replacement bill that the federal government has submitted to the Lok Sabha. He claimed that the name change rendered all of the criminal law notes he had written useless. “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry because I have a lot of notes, bare acts and caseloads that I had prepared,” he said. “But remember one thing, the next time you vote, choose an educated candidate so that you do not have to suffer all this again in life…do not vote for someone who only knows how to change names,” he added. These remarks sparked a contentious debate on social media. Although Sangwan did not specifically mention anyone, many believed that the BJP government was his target. Unacademy was accused by some social media users of promoting a “anti-Modi agenda”. Others responded to those statements and defended Sangwan in the meanwhile. Sangwan was fired by the e-learning platform as a result of the controversy. The business claimed that the educator’s remark constituted both a “breach of contract” and a “violation of its code of conduct”. According to Roman Sainy, a co-founder of Unacademy, presenting personal beliefs and viewpoints in the classroom is against company policy. “To do this, we have in place a strict Code of Conduct for all our educators with the intention of ensuring that our learners have access to unbiased knowledge. Our learners are at the centre of everything we do. The classroom is not a place to share personal opinions and views as they can wrongly influence them. In the current situation, we were forced to part ways with Karan Sangwan as he was in breach of the Code of Conduct,” Saini said.
Sangwan’s Controversy Echoes in Politics
In response to the uproar, Sangwan stated that his Judicial Service exam candidates are dealing with “a lot of consequences.” “For the past few days, a video has been going viral, due to which I am in controversy and because of that controversy, several of my students who are preparing for judicial services examinations are facing a lot of consequences. Along with them, I also face consequences,” Sangwan said. He added that he would share additional information regarding the argument on Saturday. The dismissal of a teacher by Unacademy was met with harsh criticism. Opposition politicians were among those who denounced the action, calling it “inappropriate” and charging the platform with stifling free speech. Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, questioned whether encouraging people to support educated candidates is illegal. Deepender Singh Hooda, a Rajya Sabha member for the Congress, described the episode as “unfortunate,” and Priyanka Chaturvedi, a Rajya Sabha member for the Shiv Sena (UBT), questioned whether “voting for literate politicians” was a biassed statement.
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