Modi’s appeal to light lamps turns into school-monitored activity, parents to fill ‘forms’

Schools say they received instructions from the CBSE to monitor if students participate in Sunday night's activity, though the board clarifies it isn't mandatory.

Students in a classroom (representational image) | Bloomberg

New Delhi: Private schools are looking to ensure that their students participate in Sunday night’s lamp-lighting activity set out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and have issued forms to parents, ThePrint has learnt.

The Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) had on 3 April asked students across the country to follow the Prime Minister’s appeal to light a lamp at 9 pm on Sunday (5 April), as a mark of solidarity as the country grapples with the novel coronavirus crisis.

In a note to all autonomous bodies under the MHRD, ministry secretary Amit Khare wrote: “As directed by Prime Minister on April 3, 2020, students may light a diya or torch of their mobile for 9 minutes on 9 pm on April 5 to realise the power of light and highlight the objective for which we are all fighting together. However, no one should assemble in roads, or colonies or anywhere outside their houses.”

The communication was sent to the University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS).

Following this, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) also asked schools affiliated to it to follow the circular and upload the same on their official websites.

Taking it a step further, some private schools have decided to monitor whether children are participating in the activity.

Parents receive ‘forms’

ThePrint has seen some of these forms sent to parents by prominent private schools in Delhi. Among other things, the forms ask “whether your child will light a diya at 9 pm”, details of the student, admission number and parents’ name.

 

In their communication to parents, schools mentioned they have been instructed by CBSE to monitor students. Officials in CBSE, however, said that the lighting of lamps has been suggested as a voluntary activity and is not mandatory.

The ministry also denied that the activity is mandatory.

“The directions that the ministry has given are very clear. There is nothing mandatory about the circular, it is a completely voluntary activity,” an MHRD official told ThePrint.

The circular sent by the ministry also says that students should download the Arogya Setu mobile app which has been developed to fight Covid-19. The school forms inquire whether students have downloaded the app yet.