U'khand for no holiday on birth anniversaries of icons

Taking a cue from Uttar Pradesh, the Uttarakhand government is preparing to do away with the tradition of having holidays in schools and colleges on the birth anniversaries of national and state icons.
Hinting at it here today Uttarakhand minister of state for higher education Dhan Singh Rawat said, "It is being felt that by closing our schools and colleges on the birth anniversaries of national and state icons, we deprive the younger generation of a chance to know about them."
The minister said that it will be a bigger tribute to those icons if the educational institutions are kept open on those days and programmes like lectures, debates and symposiums aimed at acquainting young students with their inspiring life story or their contribution to society are held on the campus.

"Options are being weighed and a decision on this will soon be taken," said Rawat, who held a meeting with the office bearers of student unions recently to discuss the matter.
The Uttar Pradesh government had recently cancelled 11 declared holidays in educational institutions which were observed to mark the birth anniversaries of national and state icons.
State school education minister Arvind Pandey also supported the idea, saying a decision like this will be welcome as it will provide the students with an opportunity to learn about national and state icons.