Your school band might just get the chance to perform at the National War Memorial in Delhi. Here's how

To inculcate values like patriotism, the importance of dedication to duty and valour, the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, announced that schools bands will be permitted to perform at the National War Memorial, Delhi, on a regular basis. This announcement came on Thursday, February 10.  

As per a report in PTI, it was both the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Education who took the decision together. Tentatively, it is from February 22, ahead of the memorial's third anniversary on February 25, that the school bands can begin their performance, as reported by PTI. 

The Ministry of Education and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) are to plan a schedule of school bands and this will be done in consultation with the MoE and the government of NCT, Delhi. 

"The place, themes, tunes etc of the band can be decided in coordination with Directorate of National War Memorial and Museum, Headquarter Integrated Defence Staff keeping in view the sanctity of the memorial," the ministry said in a statement, as quoted in a report by PTI.

The statement also informed that the Ministry of Education has requested all states and Union Territories to pick one band from the schools in their respective states who will perform in coordination with National War Memorial and Museum. This will be part of the regular schedule. CBSE will be coordinating with the schools along with the Ministry of Defence.  

The idea behind this is to inculcate "values of patriotism, devotion to duty, courage and sacrifice" among school students. It is also to increase the participation and engagement of people, in particular, the youth of the country, so that they have the opportunity to experience the iconic war memorial's various facets. 

This also helps in carrying forward the mission of the Veer Gatha project, organised by the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Culture, to raise awareness among today's young children about the brave stories of war heroes and inculcating in them a nationalistic feeling while they are young via enhanced exposure, the statement said.