Students of Gujarat schools will answer roll calls with 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat' instead of the current 'yes, sir' and 'present, sir' from Tuesday, 1 January in order to “foster patriotism”, a notification issued on Monday stated, reported news agency PTI.
The Gujarat government’s decision is inspired by Sandeep Joshi, a History teacher at a school in Rajasthan’s Jalore district who was honoured in Ahmedabad last Saturday by RSS-affiliated Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), The Indian Express reported. He was awarded for his work in education, including for getting his students to say “Jai Hind” and “Jai Bharat” during roll call.
The notification, issued by the Directorate of Primary Education and Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB), lays down that students of Class 1-12 in government, grant-in-aid and self-financed schools will have to respond to the attendance call with "Jai Hind" or "Jai Bharat," starting 1 January.
The objective of the new practice is to "foster patriotism among students right from childhood," it said.
However, the Congress and Patidar leader Hardik Patel slammed the move and asked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to improve the "deteriorating quality of education" instead.
I’d Rather Embrace My Nation and Say ‘Jai Hind’: Smriti Irani
However, Union minister Smriti Irani rejected the Opposition's criticism and said that she would celebrate the country’s prominence by saying "Jai Hind".
“Speaking as an MP from Gujarat, if you are saying the Opposition’s contention is that by saying Jai Hind you are being regressive, then I would rather embrace my nation and celebrate its prominence and say Jai Hind.”Smriti Irani, Union Minister said on Tuesday
The Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama also defended the directive, saying it would instill "a feeling of patriotism" among students.
It Will Not Change the Quality of Education: Congress
Amit Chavda, Gujarat Congress chief, commenting on the move, said the new practice “will not change the quality of education” in government and affiliated schools.
“The BJP government has made several efforts to instill patriotism among students. Altering a certain practice will not improve the standard of education,” he said.
As per the notification, the decision was taken by the state Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama in a review meeting held Monday.
“There is nothing bad in taking inspiration from such a good initiative. This was followed in Gujarat decades ago but somewhere down the line, it was forgotten,” Indian Express quoted Chudasama as saying.
Copies of the notification were sent to the district education officials with instructions to implement it from 1 January.
(With inputs from The Indian Express and PTI)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)