Good Governance Day: Online essay contest in schools Dec 25-26

New Delhi, December 26: The Delhi High Court was Wednesday informed by the central government that it has decided to carry out various activities like online essay competitions in CBSE schools for two days - Dec 25 and 26 - so that students' participation increases on Good Governance Day.

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice P.S. Teji was informed by the human resource development ministry that the government decided to celebrate Dec 25 as Good Governance Day all over India. The event was extended to Dec 26 R.C. to increase the participation of students.

The bench asked the government to immediately give "wide publicity" through the media on the online competition's extension. "The wide publicity would be given immediately through electronic and print media apart from notifying the schools to the extent possible, about the extension of proposed online competition on Dec 26 also," the court said in its order.

The court's direction came on a petition filed by P.B. Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary of the State Platform for Common School System (SPCSS) seeking directions to withdraw the circular instructing educational institutions to celebrate 'Good Governance Day' Dec 25, which is a religious holiday due to Christmas and against the spirit of the Constitution.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Sanjay Jain told the court that to mark 'good governance day' Dec 25, the government decided to conduct online essay competitions but now it will be open to students to submit their essay Dec 26 also. After the ASG's statement that the date was extended to Dec 26, the petitioner withdrew the plea.

Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Amit Sibal told the court that the circular was absolutely contrary and conflicting the preamble of the Constitution, rights of citizens and would cause communal disharmony among the public. The Narendra Modi government has decided to celebrate Dec 25 as Good Governance Day on the birthday of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

IANS