5 Mysuru BEOs injured in Highway Accident 

• Cab carrying BEOs collides with goods vehicle near Ramanagara 

• Education Officers were scheduled to attend meeting in Bengaluru 

Driver killed 

Mysuru: A cab driver was killed and five Block Education Officers (BEOs) from Mysuru district were injured in a road accident on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway near Ramanagara this morning. 

The deceased has been identified as Anand, a resident of Mysuru. The injured are Mysuru North BEO Revanna, Mysuru Rural BEO Prakash, Mysuru South BEO Krishna, Nanjangud BEO Mahesh and H.D. Kote BEO Raju. 

Revanna and Prakash sustained serious injuries and were admitted to a private hospital in the vicinity. The remaining three officers suffered minor injuries. 

According to sources, the five BEOs had hired the cab (KA-09-B-3001) to travel to Bengaluru for a meeting at the Office of the Commissioner of the Education Department. 

The accident occurred when the cab was travelling on the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway. A goods vehicle (KA-09-AA-3131) reportedly collided with the cab, resulting in the fatal crash. 

The impact of the collision left the cab mangled, trapping the BEOs inside. Residents and passing motorists joined rescue efforts and helped extricate the passengers, who were subsequently taken to hospitals for treatment. 

Preliminary information suggests that the tyre of one of the vehicles burst before the collision. However, officials are yet to ascertain which vehicle suffered the tyre burst.  

Ramanagara Police have registered a case and are investigating the circumstances leading to the accident on Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway. 

Why not conduct online meetings in a digital age? 

Following the accident, members of the public questioned the need for frequent in-person meetings in Bengaluru involving field-level education officials. 

They pointed out that with schools having reopened this month, Block Education Officers are engaged in extensive monitoring and administrative responsibilities in their respective jurisdictions.  

Instead of requiring officers to travel long distances for meetings, the Education Department should consider conducting virtual meetings whenever possible. 

Such an arrangement, they said, would enable officials to participate in departmental reviews while continuing to oversee school-related activities from their offices, besides reducing travel-related risks.