Soon, newborns in Raj hospitals to get a free astrology reading

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government is working on a proposal to provide horoscopes to all babies born in state-run and private hospitals and suggest a name for them based on their Hindu astrological sign, according to a copy of the proposal accessed by HT.

In the first phase of the plan, the scheme will be rolled out in five government hospitals in Jaipur where newborns will be given horoscopes free of cost. In the second phase, government hospitals will charge ~51, and private hospitals ~101, for each horoscope.

Rajasthan is home to 16,728 government hospitals and 54 registered private hospitals.

The Congress, which came to power in Rajasthan, had promised, in its 2018 Assembly election manifesto, to promote Sanskrit education and language, and to set up a vedic rituals and education board in the state. The handout of horoscopes is part of an effort to fulfil that promise, according to the proposal.

A meeting on the proposal was held on January 3, following which the Jaipurbased Jagadguru Ramanandacharya Rajasthan Sanskrit University (JRRSU) was asked to firm up a plan.

According to the proposal, the scheme may be called Rajiv Gandhi JanmapatriNamkaran Yojana and will help promote vedic rituals and aid parents of newborns in naming their children according to traditions. “The scheme will help in promotion of Sanskrit and vedic knowledge and provide employment to at least 3,000 astrologers,” the proposal reads.

These astrologers should have a degree or diploma in astrology and will get a licence from the state government or the JRRSU, the proposal says. After the second phase is rolled out, the astrologers will be paid Rs 40 in government hospitals and Rs 80 in private hospitals for every horoscope they prepare. JRRSU will get the remaining Rs 11 and Rs 21, respectively.

As a pilot, the scheme will be implemented in Jaipur’s Zenana Hospital, Mahila Chikitsalaya, Kanwatiya Hospital, Jaipuria Hospital and Sethi Colony Satellite Hospital. Each horoscope will have a unique code, using which the parents can later download detailed analysis from the university’s website after paying ~200.

The scheme will be implemented by JRRSU, and Sanskrit education, medical and health, statistics and social justice and empowerment departments will be part of it.

An officer of the Sanskrit education department, requesting anonymity, said the scheme was still in a very initial stage. JRRSU registrar, Ashok Sharma, said the university made the proposal, but refused to elaborate.

Former education minister and Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, Vasudev Devnani, welcomed the proposal. “It is a good move in the direction of promoting vedic knowledge and Indian culture,” he said.

Sanskrit scholar, Shastri Kosalendradas, said: “... The government’s plan will not only underline the importance of astrology among the common people; it will also create new job opportunities.”