India, Dec. 25 -- "The job of teachers is to teach in the classroom," state education minister Dada Bhuse has reminded chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. In a strident letter urging Fadnavis to exempt teachers from Booth Level Officer (BLO) and other election-related duties, in view of the upcoming municipal elections, Bhuse said, "Election duties consume the teachers' time and cause educational loss to students."

The minister pointed out that competent staff is available in other government departments for election-related work. "They should be used as an alternative. Therefore, it is my insistent position that teachers should be completely freed from BLO duties and allowed to teach with dignity."

To bolster his argument, Bhuse cited th...