The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in Gujarat has stirred controversy after directing government school teachers to conduct a survey of stray dogs in and around school premises. In a circular issued on the 11th of this month, the state Education Department instructed teachers to collect detailed data and submit a comprehensive report within three days, terming the exercise an emergency and citing directives of the Supreme Court of India.
Teacher associations have strongly opposed the move, stating that educators are already overburdened with non-academic assignments beyond classroom teaching. They pointed out that tasks such as counting school toilets, mobilising crowds for government events, handling election duties, and conducting multiple surveys have increasingly diverted attention from their primary responsibility of teaching. Adding stray dog enumeration to their duties, they argue, diminishes the dignity and professional focus of the teaching community.
*SIR કામગીરી પછી શિક્ષકો હવે શ્વાનની ગણતરી કરશે!*#Gujarat #teacher #EducationDepartment #dog pic.twitter.com/MxyJ5MiNNJ
— Porbandar Mirror (@MirrorPorbandar) February 12, 2026
The opposition Indian National Congress criticised the government’s decision and called for the immediate withdrawal of the order. Party spokesperson Manish Doshi said teachers should not be reduced to “data collection machines” and warned that continued diversion to non-teaching tasks could adversely impact educational standards. The issue has since escalated into a wider political and academic debate across the state.