Say ‘Jai Hind’ to answer roll calls in MP schools

Bhopal: The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has made it mandatory for students in state-run schools to answer their attendance roll calls by saying “Jai Hind”.

“It has been made mandatory for students of 1.22 lakh government schools in the state to answer attendance roll calls by saying ‘Jai Hind’, instead of yes sir/ madam. The objective behind the move is to foster patriotism among the students,” an order issued by deputy secretary, school education department of MP government, on Tuesday said.

The state government announced that the decision to come into force from the coming academic session, scheduled to commence on July one this year.

The order was issued after chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan gave his stamp of approval to it, a spokesman of the state education department told this newspaper on Wednesday.

State education minister Vijay Shah said his department would issue an advisory to private-run schools in the state to introduce the “Jai Hind” roll call practice.

He, however, added that it would be left to the managements of these schools to take the decision if they would like to adopt the new system of roll call answer.

In September, Mr Shah had announced that students of government schools in Satna district will answer their roll call with Jai Hind from October 1 on an experimental basis.

Justifying the decision to introduce “Jai Hind” roll call, the state education department said the traditional practice of responding to attendance roll call by saying, “yes sir/ma’am” did not inspire patriotic feelings among the students.

The state government had earlier introduced the “Jai Hind” roll call answer in the state-run schools in Satna district as a pilot project on October one last year.

Satna is Mr Shah’s home district.

State home minister Bhupendra Singh hailed the decision, saying that the move would instil patriotism among the students and make them realise that, “We exist because nation exists”.

The Opposition Congress has however dubbed it as attempt to saffronise education in the state.