
For students making fun plans for their Christmas vacations, the ‘The Times Of India’ has brought some very bad news on its front page today. There is no Christmas holiday and they would have to come to school to write an essay on good governance!
As reported by TOI, the union human resource development ministry wants to celebrate the birthdays of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Hindu Mahasabha leader Madan Mohan Malviya by observing `good governance day’ on December 25. This essentially means an essay competition will be held on December 24 and 25, the topics for which will be declared a day before on December 23.
The essay competition will be held separately for standards I-V, standards VI-VIII and standards IX-X. It has also been reported that the Navodaya Vidyalays commissioner, GS Bothyal has asked schools to conduct quiz competitions, screen documentaries on best practices in good governance and perform other related activities on Christmas.
TOI states that while the Union government-run Navodaya Vidyalays has issued a circular to its schools, the CBSE hasn’t issued any circulars to its schools yet.
“While there won’t be a Christmas holiday for Navodaya schools, the central board hasn’t given any direction to private CBSE schools yet. It is also not clear whether staying open on Christmas would be mandatory for such schools.”
While the frontpage news at TOI is disturbing at many levels in a seemingly secular country like India, it now looks like a deliberate attempt by TOI to “create” sensational news, either by leaving out important parts or misreporting.
The Union government has been quick to verify this, even before the matter could snowball on Twitter to become a trending hashtag. Smriti Irani, Union Minister for Human Resource Development has clarified that schools will remain closed for X’mas and that the essay competition, which is an online one, is only voluntary.
Read update: “TOI Vs. Smriti Irani Christmas Holiday Fight: Ministry Of HRD Clears Facts In A 10-Point Press Note”.
Dear @timesofindia deliberate mischief by ur reporter on the front page today. All schools closed for XMas, essay competition only online.
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) December 15, 2014
Dear @timesofindia I wish this reporter had the decency to at least check with people frm TOI who cover d HRD beat…. (1/3)
— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) December 15, 2014
… Or for that matter verify d same with Secretary School Education, unless the idea was to deliberately misreport. (2/3) — Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) December 15, 2014
Dear @timesofindia even the essay competition online is VOLUNTARY. — Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) December 15, 2014
Twitterati have been outraging in funny tweets as usual, while the opposition has called the clarification a lie. The essay competition as per the circular issued is also being held offline in addition to online. Nevertheless, the shape of Christmas vacation will be forever changed with the introduction of ‘Good Governance Day’ on December 25.
Here are a few tweets on what the funny folks feel on the news:
♬ We wish you a Merry Christmas ♬ ♬ We wish you a Merry Christmas ♬ ♬ We wisssshhh you a Merry Christmas ♬ ♬ And Good Governance Day ♬
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) December 15, 2014
Some poor graphic designer in Google is now deleting the Christmas doodle, and breaking his head on creating a Good Governance doodle.
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) December 15, 2014
Fascist Government cancels Christmas holiday. No they didn’t OMG I am getting trolled by right wing bigots Sigh…
— Gappistan Radio (@GappistanRadio) December 15, 2014
this year, on christmas , i will sing “Temple bells, Temple bells, Temple all the way”. @narendramodi and RSS
— Ban Arnab (@justicearnab) December 15, 2014
Imposition of Composition Skills? “Govt wants kids to write essays on X Mas Day” #goodgovernanceday
— Jay Hind! (@JayHind) December 15, 2014
“Dear Santa, for Christmas, I want a new HRD Minister…”
— Rohan (@mojorojo) December 15, 2014