Rajasthan: Government makes singing 'national anthem' compulsory in hostels

The department of social justice and empowerment (SJE) of Rajasthan has issued a directive to 'evoke' nationalism to all 789 hostels for OBC, SC and ST students under its aegis. To all the students who are living in the government hostels will have to gather at 7 am daily to sing the national anthem.

The statement of the Rajasthan government was released on Monday it reads that the tradition to recite national anthem will now be followed in hostels too, as it was already applicable in the residential schools. The directive of the state government to recite national anthem at school was effective from the Sunday (26 November).

Samit Sharma, the principal secretary of SJE claimed that singing the national anthem is not anything new but it has always been a part of the routine for hostlers. Samit said, "Hostel inmates gather for a daily prayer in the morning. The directive on national anthem was not being followed because of staff shortage. The directive has been issued to ensure national anthem is also sung on a daily basis"

While talking about, if it was already a routine in hostels then why it is being re-issued, Samit Sharma said it was re-issued because in some hostels due to absence of warden it was not followed on daily basis, "We have just asked the national anthem to be sung regularly like it is being done in any other school."