Unacademy fires teacher Karan Sangwan for comment on politicians. The row, explained

Edtech platform Unacademy has made headlines by parting ways with one of its educators, Karan Sangwan, in the aftermath of a recent dispute. Co-founder Roman Saini, using his X account, emphasized that "the classroom is not a place to share personal opinions and views as they can wrongly influence" students. Saini further explained, "In the current situation, we are compelled to separate from Karan Sangwan due to his violation of the code of conduct."

Although Karan Sangwan's video had gone viral on August 14, Unacademy had remained silent on the matter. The announcement of Sangwan's suspension came as no surprise and was officially communicated by the company on August 17.

What happened?

The controversy took place when Karan Sangwan, a law educator at Unacademy, offered personal advice to students, stating, "Next time aap vote dene jayen, toh kisi padhe likhe insaan ko chuniyega" (Next time you go to vote, choose an educated individual).

This advice emerged during a discussion on the bill introduced by the Central government in the Lok Sabha to replace the British-era IPC, CrPC, and the Indian Evidence Act. Sangwan expressed frustration, noting that all his meticulously prepared notes had become obsolete.

His frustration prompted the advice for students to vote exclusively for educated candidates, emphasizing that they should choose individuals who understand the issues at hand. He specifically referenced the ruling BJP government in several states, cautioning against supporting those who only know how to change names.

While some individuals supported Sangwan's views, others criticized him for imposing his opinions on students, sparking a heated controversy. The ensuing uproar hinted at the possibility of Unacademy severing ties with Sangwan.

Karan Sangwan's response after resignation

On August 17, screenshots of Karan Sangwan's message to students via the messaging app Telegram gained traction. In his message, he expressed his pleasure in teaching and striving to provide quality education, conveying his hopes for students' future success. Sangwan signed off with a nod to his students' enthusiasm, borrowing the popular phrase, "How's the Josh!"

Subsequently, Sangwan addressed the consequences of his actions in a video on his YouTube channel. He announced plans to release a detailed video on August 19, recounting the sequence of events leading to his resignation.

X (Twitter) divided

The controversy stirred contrasting reactions on X. While a substantial number of users expressed outrage over Sangwan's termination, particularly for advocating that students only vote for educated candidates, others defended Unacademy's action.

Those in favor argued that Sangwan should have refrained from mixing personal views with teaching.

Here are a few reactions from X: