UP school head suspended for asking students to ferry food grains  

The Uttar Pradesh government has suspended a government school principal on the charge of maligning the Education Department's image by ordering students to ferry heavy sacks of foodgrain on a handcart to the school from a ration shop owner's home, a senior officer said on Tuesday.

Alok Kumar Yadav, Principal of Upper Primary School in Chanwari village in Gadwara block in Balia district, was suspended after a video clip of eight students of Class 6 pushing a handcart laden with foodgrain went viral on the social media, Basic Shiksha Adhikari Shiv Narain Singh said.

District Magistrate Hari Pratap Shahi had ordered the inquiry on Friday after the clip surfaced.

However, the Principal told reporters: "We took the help of students because the person who operates the cart was not available on that particular day."