Delhi government clarifies no teacher deployed for 'counting of dogs' exercise
PTC News Desk: The Delhi government has clarified that school teachers have not been deployed to conduct a stray dog census in the city, dismissing reports suggesting that educators were assigned dog-counting duties. Government sources said no teachers have been asked to carry out any field-level exercise related to counting stray dogs.
The clarification follows confusion over recent instructions issued to educational institutions on stray dog-related matters. Officials explained that while teachers are not involved in counting stray dogs, the Directorate of Education (DoE) had asked schools and other educational institutions to nominate nodal officers to coordinate on issues linked to stray dogs.
According to a circular issued by the DoE’s Caretaking Branch, District Education Officers (DEOs) were directed to compile details of the nominated nodal officers from schools, stadiums and sports complexes under their jurisdiction. The information sought included the officer’s name, designation, contact number and email ID. The DoE specified that individual schools were not required to send separate submissions, and that only consolidated district-level reports were to be forwarded to the office of the Delhi Chief Secretary.
The DoE said the exercise was undertaken in the interest of public safety and in compliance with a Supreme Court order dated November 7, 2025. It was also aligned with directions issued during a review meeting held on November 20 and was categorised as a priority task.
Teachers’ associations had earlier objected to the move, voicing concerns that educators were being burdened with non-academic responsibilities. They questioned why animal welfare departments were not exclusively handling such issues and warned that additional duties could affect teaching work and professional dignity.
Officials, however, noted that similar coordination mechanisms involving educational staff for animal-related civic matters have previously been adopted in states and Union territories such as Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh.
With the latest clarification, the Delhi government has sought to allay concerns, reiterating that teachers are not being deployed for stray dog counting and that the directive is limited to administrative coordination through designated nodal officers.
- With inputs from agencies
