'Sing national anthem or face salary cut': Rajasthan directive to govt schools and offices

JAIPUR: Singing the national anthem and national song daily will now be mandatory in all govt schools and offices under Rajasthan's education, Sanskrit education, and Panchayati Raj departments, education minister Madan Dilawar announced Monday. Additionally, the state will implement a common uniform for all govt and private schools, effective from the 2026 academic session, besides introducing uniforms for teachers. Attendance of officials and staff would be recorded based on their participation in the programmes. "The day will begin with the national anthem and end with the national song... Only those officers, staff, and teachers who are present for the national anthem will be marked present," Dilawar said, adding that the policy aims to encourage nationalistic fervour among staff an