Shimla, April 17 -- The Himachal Pradesh education department on Thursday dismissed three college teachers from service on sexual harassment charges.

The dismissed teachers are Virender Sharma, assistant professor of mathematics in Shimla; Anil Kumar, assistant professor of chemistry at Sidharth Government College, Nadaun; and Pawan Kumar, professor of Kathak at Jawahar Lal Nehru Government College of Fine Arts, Shimla.

In the dismissal order, state education secretary Rakesh Kanwar said that the sanctity of the teacher-student relationship is built on trust and safety. Any act of sexual impropriety directed towards a student strikes at the very root of this relationship, undermines institutional discipline, and erodes public confidence...