IIM Jammu to fine students ₹500 for skipping Diya lighting on PM Modi's birthday
IIM Jammu is taking action against students who did not participate in the Diya lighting ceremony for PM Modi's birthday.
Congress Rajya Sabha MP Syed Nasir Hussain has alleged that the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Jammu is taking action against students who did not attend the Deep Prakashan program held on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday. According to the allegations,
students who were absent from the event have been asked to either provide a written response to a notice issued by the student council of IIM Jammu or pay a fine of ₹500.
A report by The Telegraph Online stated that Hussain, a Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka and observer of the All India Congress Committee for Jammu and Kashmir, shared a notice on 'X'. This notice was issued by the 'Student Council of IIM Jammu'. Students were given time until Friday night to explain their absence.
Hussain wrote on 'X',
Why should attendance of students at the Prime Minister Modi's birthday celebration be mandatory? Is it an academic responsibility in any IIM or has the promotion of Prime Minister Modi been brought in as a mandatory activity on campus? Educational institutions should develop independent thinking, not force students to participate in political leaders' events or threaten them with fines. BJP's promotional campaigns should be kept away from our premier educational institutions.
Screenshots of the email shared by the MP stated that attendance at the event was mandatory for all students.
The notice stated,
Exemptions for absence will only be granted on medical grounds. An official certificate issued by Sanjeevani must be presented, clearly advising bed rest during the relevant period. Absences due to medical reasons without the necessary documents from Sanjeevani will not be considered for exemption.
‘Sanjeevani’ or ‘e-Sanjeevani’ is the central government's free national telemedicine service, through which patients can log in to online OPDs and consult specialist doctors.
IIM Jammu has not yet responded officially to the Congress MP's allegations. Attempts to contact the institute's director and other officials went unanswered. The news will be updated upon receiving a response from the officials. The lighting of lamps program on September 17 at 7 PM was part of a month-long 'Seva Sankalp Abhiyan' organized by the BJP. This campaign was held to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 76th birthday and the completion of 25 years in public life.
It has been reported that government directives related to this event were also applied to private educational institutions in several BJP-ruled states like Rajasthan. Many teachers in government schools and Anganwadi workers also complained that they were asked to stay at their workplaces until late evening and send pictures of the lamp lighting ceremony.
Earlier, a controversy had erupted in Rajasthan over government directives to light 'Aashirwad ka Diya' on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday. The college education department had directed all government and private colleges in the state to ensure participation in this activity scheduled for the evening of September 17. Following the orders, the social organization PUCL protested, and the Congress also raised questions about the government's decision.
Kavita Srivastava, national president of the social organization PUCL, opposed this directive, stating that,
Colleges are centers of higher education where students should develop independent thinking and a scientific perspective. Involving students in events related to the birthdays of active politicians raises questions about the role of educational institutions.
PUCL's state president Anant Bhatnagar and national secretary Bhawar Meghvanshi also demanded the withdrawal of the order. The Congress also questioned the government's decision on this issue. The party argued that instead of involving students in events related to the birthday of an active political figure, attention should be focused on education and student-related issues.
The question now is how appropriate it was to link student participation in schools and colleges under a government campaign to an activity like 'Aashirwad ka Diya' on the Prime Minister's birthday?