[1]NEW DELHI : Education minister Smriti Irani has denied a newspaper report that CBSE schools might have to remain open on Christmas Day. “Deliberate mischief by ur reporter on the front page today. All schools closed for XMas, essay competition only online,” the minister tweeted to the newspaper’s handle this morning.
The report this morning in the national daily said that the union human resource development ministry’s plans to celebrate the birthday of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as ‘good governance day’ on December 25 could include getting the students to school to participate in the essay competition and other activities.
Ms Irani is part of a committee of top BJP leaders, that includes other ministers like JP Nadda, formed to plan a tribute on December 25 to Mr Vajpayee, one of India’s most respected statesmen, who will turn 90 this year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier this month told his party the BJP’s law-makers that December 25 would be celebrated as “Good Governance Day” to honour Mr Vajpayee on his birthday.
The PM said the party would organize a nationwide tribute to Mr Vajpayee, who has been very unwell for nearly five years. In August, Mr Vajpayee was removed from the BJP’s top decision-making body, its parliamentary board. Like party veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, he was nominated to a new committee assigned to mentor the BJP and referred to as the Marg Darshak Mandal or a steering committee.
The PM said all law-makers must on December 25 lead efforts to remove litter in their constituencies as part of the Clean India mission that he launched on Independence Day. The PM said he will be in his constituency, Varanasi, to lead by example.
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