CBSE tries to promote RSS ideologues through contests

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) under the HRD ministry is playing a key role in promoting students’ interest to know more about the RSS ideologue and Bharatiya Jan Sangh leader Deendayal Upadhyaya, whose birth centenary is being celebrated this year.

According to HRD officials, the competition was carried out last month, the second such exercise. A similar one was held in September last year during his birth anniversary.

Last month, the CBSE held an essay competition on Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya wherein students were asked to write essays on the topic ‘independence can be meaningful only if it becomes instrument for expression of our culture’. Though the exercise was voluntary, students were given a cash prize of `2500 to ensure a number of them participated while everyone got a certificate of participation.

A circular was let out among all the schools across the country that read: “CBSE is committed to the holistic development of students and feels that students must be made aware of selfless and valiant services of the women and men who have served the nation.”

The contestants from classes 1 to 5 were asked to write an essay or drawing on ‘Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya: A multi-faceted personality’, ‘Independence can be meaningful only if it becomes instrument for expression of our culture’ for classes 6 to 8 and ‘Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya: A great advocate for indigenous economics and administration models’ for classes 9 to 12. The exercise was held between September 25 and 27.

The board is also carrying out a similar exercise for freedom fighter and social reformer Jayaprakash Narayan.

The contest is open for students from classes 1 to 12. It is divided into three categories — classes 1 to 5, classes 6 to 8 and classes 9 to 12.