Bihar prohibits teachers, students from making reels; prevents outsiders from visiting schools when classes in session

Days after introducing a formal dress code for teachers and non-teaching staff, the Bihar Education Department has directed government school teachers and students not to shoot videos or make reels for social media during class hours without prior permission.

The department has also prohibited outsiders and unauthorised visitors from entering school campuses while classes are in progress. In a regulation issued on November 4, Vijay Kumar Pandey, Director (Administration) of the Bihar School Education Department, instructed all District Education Officers (DEOs) and District Programme Officers (DPOs) to ensure that teachers and students do not “create, shoot videos, upload reels on social media while classes in session without permission from the relevant officials”.

The directive also bars unauthorised entry by outsiders into government schools during teaching hours. Earlier, on October 30, the department had directed all teachers and non-teaching staff to strictly adhere to a formal dress code during teaching and office hours.

The latest regulation states that making reels and videos during school hours has the “potential to make impact on teaching and it may infringe on students’ privacy”. It also makes Regional Education Deputy Directors and District Education Officers responsible for implementing the directive.

Department officials said the regulation had been issued under the Bihar Government Servant Conduct Rules, 1976, and the Bihar Government Servant Conduct (Amendment) Rules, 2026. The department has also expressed concern over government employees using school resources to create social media content and promote themselves as social media influencers.

“The purpose of the new regulation is to protect students’ privacy, ensure school discipline and prevent distractions for both students and teachers during teaching hours,” a senior department official told The Hindu, requesting anonymity.

“It is totally inappropriate to make reels with students during classroom activities and later post them on social media. Violation of these rules could invite disciplinary action from the department,” the official said.

The restriction on outsiders entering schools during teaching hours is intended to ensure that classroom activities are not interrupted and that the school environment remains focused on education, the official added. The department has clarified that teachers and non-teaching staff may use social media only after obtaining written permission from their controlling officers.

Activities such as cultural programmes, school events, tree plantation drives, blood and organ donation campaigns, cleanliness drives, and Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations may be recorded and uploaded only after obtaining the necessary approval from the concerned officials.

The regulation also prohibits the uploading of obscene, inappropriate, objectionable or defamatory content, material that violates intellectual property rights, and posts that could affect national or internal security.