Students of Gujarat schools will answer roll calls with 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat' instead of the current 'Yes Sir' and 'Present Ma'am' from January 1, in order to foster patriotism, a notification issued on Monday stated. 

The notification, issued by the Directorate of Primary Education and Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB), lays down that students of Class 1-12 in government, grant-in-aid and self-financed schools will have to respond to the attendance call with "Jai Hind" or "Jai Bharat," starting January 1. The objective of the new practice is to "foster patriotism among students right from childhood," it said. As per the notification, the decision was taken by the state Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama in a review meeting held on Monday.
 
Copies of the notification were sent to the district education officials with instructions to implement it from January 1. Minister Chudasama could not be contacted for comment despite repeated attempts.