Singing of national anthem made mandatory in Rajasthan hostels

The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, which has issued the notification in this regard, said that the move aimed to evoke the spirit of nationalism among the students. It also said the national anthem was already being sung in all residential schools and it will now be followed in hostels as well.

Officials claimed that the tradition was already a part of the regular routine in hostels, but it was not followed due to laxity and shortage of staff in the hostels. “This rule had already been part of the morning assemblies but was not followed. It may be due to laxity of the officials or the shortage of the staff in the hostels. But, now it has been made mandatory to sing national anthem in all the government hostels,” said, Dr Samit Sharma, Director, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Earlier, on November 8, Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje-led government, as part of the first anniversary celebrations of the demonetization drive, had organized singing of national anthem by a record number of 50,000 people in a colourful event in Jaipur.

Prior to that, on November 1, the Jaipur Municipal Corporation made it compulsory for its employees to sing the national anthem every morning and Vande Mataram every morning. “Those who oppose the directive should go to Pakistan,” Jaipur Mayor Ashok Lahoty had said at that time provoking a controversy.

The Rajasthan Social Justice and Empowerment Department runs 789 hostels for Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes across the state with strength of 40,000 inmates besides 22 residential schools.