Rajasthan: Schools now asked to mark Article 370 abrogation, Savarkar Jayanti

Weeks after the BJP government in Rajasthan directed schools to observe 'Ramlalla Pran Pratishtha Day' every year on 22 January, it has now issued a new directive.

Schools in the state have been asked to commemorate the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir on 5 August as ‘Swarn Mukut Mastak Diwas’. Schools will also observe Savarkar Jayanti on 28 May, according to the new directive, in memory of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, considered the inventor of the Hindutva ideology.

The state's education department has additionally designated the second and fourth Saturdays of every month as ‘No Bag Day’, when various activities will be organised to ensure active participation from students.

Moreover, the department has introduced on-the-job training for students of classes 11 and 12 during the winter holidays.

According to the calendar released by director of education Ashish Modi, schools will operate for only 213 days of the 365 days in the year. There will be 152 days of holidays owing to festivals and other reasons, including Sundays.

The calendar specifies that Diwali holidays will now last from 27 October to 7 November, while winter holidays will begin on 25 December and last until 5 January, as earlier.

As reported by NH, in a similar move, the BJP-led government mandated the annual celebration of 'Ramlalla Pran Pratishtha Day' in all schools to mark the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on 22 January this year.

Chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma had claimed that the initiative would foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of cultural heritage among students.