CBSE to mark BJP ideologue's birth anniversary

To mark the 98th birth anniversary of BJP ideologue Pundit Deendayal Upadhyaya on September 25, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has asked its students to write about his dreams, his relevance in the present context and what they have learnt from his life.

The CBSE has issued a circular to all the school principals, asking them to tell students to write essays or poems on this topic, as the “life and contributions” of Pundit Deendayal Upadhyaya can be a “source of inspiration for the present generation”.

Upadhyaya, who passed away on February 11, 1968, was the leader of Bharatiya Jana Sangh from 1953 to 1968. Integral Humanism, which he conceived, went on to become the guiding philosophy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Students, including those who are differently-abled or visually challenged, can submit their entries online or offline, in any of the 22 scheduled languages or English, before September 24.

The board has also invited students to submit one act plays, drawings, paintings and sketches on the three topics it has specified. Entries can be submitted individually, in pairs, or as a school team.

From each category, the thirty best submissions – 10 from individuals, 10 from pairs, 5 team entries and 5 from differently-abled students – will be chosen, and the winners will get Rs 5,000 as prize money and a certificate of merit.

The circular comes close on the heels of the board, along with the Human Resource Department Ministry, issuing an advisory to states and schools to screen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s televised address on September 5 for the occasion of teachers’ day, which drew sharp criticism from the BJP Opposition.

The board has, however, announced the “expression series” on Upadhyaya, who was “a renowned thinker”, for the holistic development of students.

“The CBSE is committed to the holistic development of students and strongly feels that students of today must be made aware of the selfless and valiant services of the women and men who have served the nation. Present day India has become possible only because several women and men of the yesteryears worked incessantly towards nation-building,” it said in the circular issued to all school heads on September 19.

“There will be a telephonic or face-to-face interaction to ascertain the originality of the entries submitted,” it said, adding that no case of plagiarism would be entertained.