Bihar Education Department cancels 15 days leave in gov't schools, political criticism begins

The Bihar state education department on August 29, Tuesday, issued a notification cancelling the leaves of Raksha Bandhan, Teej and Jiutia in government schools after which, Union Minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh attacking the Nitish government said, "This time the state government has cancelled leaves on Hindu holidays, who knows if Sharia law is imposed in the state tomorrow."

Initially, during these festivals, the government institutions of the centre and states are closed but with the new notification, the schools of Bihar will remain open. Justifying the cause for this new notification, the department said, the idea is to open primary schools for up to 200 days and middle schools for 220 days in one year but due to several activities like elections, examinations, law and order situations, festivals, floods, natural calamities and others, the study of students gets affected, as stated in a report by IANS.

Keeping this in mind, now, the education department is allowing only 10 days of leave and has cancelled 15 days of leave including Raksha Bandhan, Krishna Janmashtami on September 7, Hartalika Teej on September 18 and 19 and Jiutia on October 6. Additionally, Durga Puja leaves were reduced to three days from October 22 to 24, which was earlier six days from October 19 to 24. Chitragupt Puja and Bhaiyaduj were merged in one day on November 15, Gurunanak Jayanti and Kartik Purnima into one on November 27.

As per the notification, the education department has given the leave for: 

Chehallum on September 6 (Wednesday)

Anant Chaturdasi/Birth anniversary of Hazrath Mohammad on September 28 (Wednesday) 

Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti October 2 (Monday) 

Durga Puja October 22 to 24 (Sunday to Tuesday) 

Diwali on November 12 (Sunday)

Chitragupta Puja/Bhai Duj November 15 (Wednesday)

Chatth Puja November 19 and 20 (Sunday and Monday) 

Christmas Day December 25 (Monday)