New Delhi: The Union health ministry has asked all its institutes to design an appropriate Indian dress code for convocation ceremonies based on the traditions of the state where they are located. The current practice of wearing the black robe and cap is a "colonial legacy", which needs to be changed, it said.

Currently, the black robe and cap is being used during convocation by various institutes of the ministry, the communication said. This attire originated in the middle ages in Europe and was introduced by the British in all their colonies, it added.

"The above tradition is a colonial legacy which needs to be changed," the communication said.

"Accordingly it has been decided by the ministry that the various institutes of the ministry including AIIMS/INIs engaged in imparting medical education will design (an) appropriate India(n) dress code for the convocation ceremony of their institute - based on local traditions of the state in which the institute is located," the communication stated.

The ministry asked them to submit proposals in this regard which will be approved by the Union health secretary.

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New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Culture allegedly spent Rs 76.13 lakh on print advertisements marking the 100-year celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.

The information was sought by RTI activist Ajay Basudev Bose, who filed an application seeking details on expenditure incurred by the ministry for advertisements commemorating the RSS centenary.

Bose shared a picture of the reply from the ministry on his official ‘X’ handle.

“It is informed that an amount of Rs 76,13,129 has been spent on advertisement given in various print media by the Ministry of Culture on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of RSS,” the government’s reply stated.

Bose questioned the expenditure in the post X, “when Everyone knows RSS is Not Registered & Does not Pay any Tax is it justified to spend Tax Payers Money on such Private event??”

Reacting to the development, Karnataka’s IT-BT and Panchayat Raj Minister Priyank Kharge also criticised the spending.

In a post on X, he asked why public money was being used for what he described as a “private ideological project.”

"Modi Sarkar spent Rs 76,13,129 of public money on newspaper advertisements to celebrate 100 years of the RSS. Why is Government spending taxpayers money on an unregistered, non-tax-paying organisation to celebrate their centenary?," he added. 

According to reports, the RSS describes itself as a volunteer-based organisation and has stated that it functions as a body of individuals rather than a registered entity.

Founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation is marking its centenary year beginning from Vijaydashami in 2025, with the milestone observed on October 2.