Government orders to make National Anthem compulsory in all schools and PU colleges of the state

Bengaluru: The state government has issued an order making it mandatory for students in all schools and pre-graduation colleges in the state to sing the National Anthem during mass prayers every morning.

The order, dated August 17, will apply to all government, aided, private schools and post-graduate colleges, the Department of School Education and Literacy said in its order.

According to the order, although the government order in this regard is in force, mass singing of national anthem during morning prayers is not practiced in some primary and high schools in Bengaluru and the government has received complaints about this.

In response to the complaints, the Deputy Director of Public Education Department, Bengaluru North and South Division visited the concerned schools and confirmed that the singing of the National Anthem in the morning prayers was not going on, the order said.

According to the Karnataka Education Act, 1983, singing of the national anthem in educational institutions is mandatory. There have been complaints that rules are being violated in some schools. It has been warned not to allow it.

If there is shortage of ground in educational institutions, the order suggests that the national anthem should be sung in the rooms.