UP mandates singing national anthem at all madrasas

Singing of the national anthem "Jana Gana Mana" has been made compulsory at all madrasas in Uttar Pradesh from Thursday, an official said here.

The Registrar of the Uttar Pradesh madrasa Education Board, SN Pandey, also issued an order to this effect to all the District Minority Welfare Officers on May 9.

According to the decision taken in the board meeting on March 24, the singing of the national anthem at the time of prayer at all madrasas across the state has been made mandatory, he said.

He said regular classes at the madrasas began on May 12 after the Ramzan holidays, and the order came into effect on the same day.

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The order said that before the commencement of classes, the national anthem will be sung by teachers and students from the upcoming academic session in all recognised, aided and non-aided madrasas in the state.

The District Minority Welfare Officers have been tasked to ensure compliance with the order.

General Secretary of Teachers' Association Madaris Arabia, Diwan Sahab Zaman Khan, said that till now at madrasas, usually Hamd (praises to Allah) and Salam (salutations to Muhammad) were recited before the start of classes.

The national anthem was also sung in some, but it was not compulsory. "Now it has been made mandatory," he added.

The order comes after the state's Minority Welfare Minister Dharampal Singh last month emphasised teaching nationalism at madrasas.

Minister of State Danish Azad Ansari had also said that the government wants the madrasa students to be "full of patriotism".

At present, there are a total of 16,461 madrasas in Uttar Pradesh and 560 of them receive government grants.