The Bihar government has made it mandatory for students and staff for schools run by it to hold morning prayers in which state songs be crooned using loudspeakers to instill discipline and punctuality among them.
An order to this effect has been issued by Principal Secretary of Education Department R K Mahajan to all the District Education Officers (DEOs) and District Programme Officers (DPOs).
The order issued on August 9 instructs to ensure holding of morning prayer with immediate effect in over 76,000 government schools and government aided ones.
Mahajan told PTI that the purpose behind the exercise is to promote discipline and punctuality among the students and the staff in schools.
"It has been decided to hold 'Chetna Satra/Prarthna Sabha' in every school (primary, middle and senior secondary) of the state using loudspeakers for qualitative running of the schools," the letter issued by Mahajan said.
It said that all schools would have to chant prayer like "Meri Raftar Pe Suraj Ki Kiran Naaz Kare..."/"Tu Hi Ram Hai, Tu Rahim Hai". These are parts of Bihar gaans (songs).
Principal, teachers and students of the school will have to be present during morning assembly, the order said.
It also said that lessons on moral values, inspiring stories/anecdotes and newspaper reading should also be included during 'Chetna Satra/Prarthna Sabha.'