Modi’s 9-minute light showbiz: HRD ministry asks students to participate, varsity obeys ‘command’

Hours after PM Narendra Modi appealed to countrymen to switch off the lights in their homes and light candles, diyas or mobile flashlights for nine minutes at 9 pm on April 5 to show “the unity of 1.3 billion people”, it has come to light that the HRD ministry wrote a letter to the UGC, KVs and Navoday Vidyalayaincluding NCTE to ask students to take part in the event.

In a very oblique manner, the letter signed by the secretary, Amit Khare said, “As requested by Prime Minister in his address on 3rd April 2020, students should light a candle, diya or torch on their mobile for nine minutes at 9 p.m. on April 5 to realize the power of light and to highlight the objective for which we all are fighting together”.

“However, no one should assemble in colonies or on road or anywhere outside their houses,” it stated.

Apprising educational organizations about the use of COVID-19 tracking application “AarogyaSetu” launched by the government, the letter added that the app will enable students and teachers assess themselves on the risk of catching the coronavirus infection.

The letter says that the app will calculate the risk based on their interaction with others, using cutting edge Bluetooth technology and algorithms.

Meanwhile, Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya issued a notice and “requested” students to light candles, diyas or the mobile flashlight for nine minutes at 9pm on April 5 to “light to world after eliminating the darkness of coronavirus”.

Referring to the abovementioned letter sent by the HRD ministry, the university administration asked all students, teachers, technical and non-technical staffs to do the same.

A student leader of the university who had been at loggerheads with the university administration on various issues told NH that the letter sent by the HRD ministry was suggestive in nature but “the administration which is full of RSS people took it as a command. I am sure they will leave no stone unturned to make 9-minute showbiz a great success”.