A week after the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) issued guidelines for schools to celebrate Independence Day, the Punjab education department issued fresh guidelines for

government schools in line with MHRD orders on Monday.

In its orders dated August 7, MHRD said that schools have to organize ‘Sankalp programme’ near ‘Shaheed Smaraks’ and an oath has to be undertaken vowing removal of corruption, poverty,

terrorism, casteism and communalism by 2022 to form a ‘New India’.

Earlier, the education department of Punjab has issued letter to the government schools dated August 10 which say that each school has to unfurl tricolor in the campus. It added that ‘singing

national anthem has to be the mandatory and important part of the entire celebrations’.

However there was no mention of ‘Sankalp programme’ or oath taking ceremony as mentioned by MHRD. The fresh orders issued just a day before I-Day (copy with The Indian Express) by the

office of Director General of School Education (DGSE) say that schools have to organize Sankalp programme and an oath taking ceremony.

The letter reads, ‘Celebrating 70 years of India’s independence organizing additional activities beside regular programmes. Students should be taken to nearby martrydom memorials and should

be told about our freedom fighters. If not taken to memorials, they should be told about freedom fighters on the school campus itself. Then they should be administered an oath vowing removal of

corruption, communalism, casteism, poverty and terrorism from the country in next five years.’

A quiz competition for class 11 and 12 has to be organized on the topic ‘Independence Struggle and India’s Development’. The letter further says that students can refer to ‘PM Narendra Modi

mobile app’ to download quiz questions.

For class 6 to 10, painting competition on the theme of ‘Independence Movement’ has to be organized by August 30 and the best paintings to be displayed on notice board.

Krishan Kumar, secretary education Punjab said, “We did not receive the letter of MHRD till August 10 when we issued our letter. We never had any objection over MHRD orders. So now we have

issued separate instructions as per that letter. However, in our general instructions dated August 10, it is only unfurling of tricolor and singing national anthem which was mandatory.”

The school heads however said that they have not received any orders apart from the letter received on August 10 and issuing such detailed instructions a day before I-Day is a cruel joke by the

government.

“We have only received the letter dated August 10 and no instructions on I-Day have come after that yet. Issuing such instructions hours before the I-Day is a sort of cruel joke with the teachers who

have to organize everything,” said a principal from a government school in Ludhiana.