New Republic Day Guidelines in Maharashtra Schools to Focus on Patriotism and Culture

Pune, 1st January 2025: An order has been issued to implement activities in schools across Maharashtra starting from the upcoming Republic Day (26th January), emphasising the importance of instilling pride in students about the country’s culture, history, and future. The Ministry of School Education of Maharashtra has directed that Republic Day be celebrated with activities such as a morning procession, speech competition, dance, and games following the flag hoisting.

According to the government decision, after the flag hoisting in all government and private schools, regardless of medium, students are to sing the national anthem, and the state anthem (Jai Jai Maharashtra Majha), recite the preamble of the Constitution, and sing patriotic songs. A morning procession should be held on the school premises, and speech competitions should focus on topics like freedom fighters, patriotism, and democracy.

Students are encouraged to recite patriotic poems, either self-written or from other poets. Dance competitions, painting contests, and essay competitions on patriotic themes should also be organized. Various types of games will be arranged for students, and an exhibition of handicrafts, paintings, and other works created by students will be displayed. The Ministry has instructed that activities be tailored to the students’ age groups.

The active participation of freedom fighters, ex-soldiers, public representatives, school management committees, teacher-parent associations, and prominent citizens in these events will be encouraged. Additionally, Primary and Secondary Education Officers and Education Inspectors in each district will oversee the proper execution of these celebrations by schools.

However, some concerns have been raised regarding the new instructions. Senior educationist Dr. Vasant Kalpande commented, “Students’ creativity cannot be encouraged by force. Recently, there has been an overload of activities in schools. Instead of planning activities at a specific time, a schedule for the entire year should be fixed, and schools should have the flexibility to adjust it according to local conditions.”

Vijay Kombe, State President of the Maharashtra State Primary Teachers’ Committee (MSPTC), also expressed concerns, stating, “The number of co-curricular activities in schools throughout the year is already quite high. There is a need to limit these activities to ensure adequate time for teaching and learning.”