School Meme Case: 13-Year-Old Expelled Over Teacher Meme, Supreme Court Issues Notice to MP Government

Bhopal/Indore: The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government in a case where a 13-year-old student from Indore was expelled for allegedly creating an “objectionable meme” about teachers. The bench of Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Ujwal Bhuiyan has asked the state to respond to a petition filed by the minor’s father challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s order that allowed the expulsion during the 2024-25 academic session.

Parental Concerns Over Education
The boy’s father contends that the expulsion has put his son’s future in jeopardy, including his registration for Class 10. According to ICSE board rules, Class 10 registration is usually completed during Class 9, and the school’s action has severely disrupted his educational continuity and stability.

Bench Observations on Children and Environment
The Supreme Court bench observed that children often learn behaviors from their surrounding environment and stressed that memes promoting communal overtones should not be encouraged. The father’s counsel, Nipun Saxena, argued that the punishment was disproportionate to the alleged misconduct and that it was not conclusively proven that the minor alone was responsible. Saxena added that the meme account was private and managed by at least three students, all of whom had been expelled by the school.

Challenge to School’s Justification
The petition further claims that the school’s rationale of “protecting its reputation” was merely a pretext, as the Instagram account was private and inaccessible to both the public and school administration. The counsel argued that expelling a child or imposing harsh penalties for content on a private social media account violates established legal principles.

Next Hearing Scheduled
The Supreme Court has scheduled the next hearing in this matter for 13 February. The case has drawn widespread attention for raising questions about children’s freedom of expression, social media use, and proportional disciplinary action in schools.