Shivendra Singh was transferred recently after four years at the Raigarh Primary School in Chandauli.
In a part of Uttar Pradesh where schools are notoriously deficient in attendance, visuals of a teacher's farewell with heartbroken students clinging to him and weeping, have gone viral.
Shivendra Singh was transferred recently after four years at the Raigarh Primary School in Chandauli, a hilly region.
Videos of his farewell on Tuesday show scores of boys and girls hugging him and sobbing. Some students hold him tight, refusing to let him go. Mr Singh, smiling, tries to reassure them, but he too appears to be in tears.
Earlier during the event, teachers and students had showered him with gifts and praise.
"I will visit you soon," he was heard telling some students. To others, he said: "Keep studying hard. You must do well."
According to officials and students, Mr Singh became immensely popular because of his unconventional ways of teaching and drawing his students' interest.
He was posted as an assistant teacher at the school in 2018. He used games and social media to raise awareness among the children, drawing more and more students to the school, which had always seen low attendance because of the difficult terrain.
It was a common sight to see him sitting on the ground, surrounded by children, during one of their interactive sessions.
"We used to play cricket in the hills. I used to try and use every means to make them aware of the world. It is extremely sad to leave these children, but I have to," Mr Singh said.
