UP schools to stay open on Christmas Day for Vajpayee centenary programmes, move draws criticism
New Delhi: Government primary and upper primary schools across Uttar Pradesh will remain open on December 25 this year, with students required to attend special programmes marking the birth centenary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, replacing the customary Christmas holiday.
An order issued by the state’s Basic Education Department has made attendance compulsory for students on the day and directed schools to organise speeches, cultural events and remembrance activities celebrating Vajpayee’s life and public service. The directive applies to government-run schools across the state and coincides with the closing phase of official centenary year observances for the BJP co-founder.
The decision follows demands raised by Bajrang Dal leaders in Saharanpur, who had submitted a memorandum urging the government to ensure that December 25 is observed as “Good Governance Day” and “Bal Gaurav Day” rather than Christmas. Maktoob Media reported that the delegation argued that the date should not be used to mark the birth of Jesus Christ and called for schools to focus on activities such as poetry recitations, speeches and essay competitions centred on Vajpayee and educationist Madan Mohan Malaviya.
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The move has triggered strong reactions from Christian organisations, educators and civil society groups, who see it as a marginalisation of the Christian community. They also described it as a departure from the secular ethos of public education. A spokesperson for a prominent Christian group described the order as insensitive to the religious sentiments of Christians, for whom Christmas marks the birth of Jesus and holds deep spiritual significance.
Dr John Dayal, secretary general of the All India Christian Council and a member of the National Integration Council, criticised the state government for keeping schools open on Christmas to observe Vajpayee’s birth anniversary. He said replacing a longstanding religious holiday with official commemorations amounted to a deliberate sidelining of Christian faith practices and reflected a broader pattern of exclusion. Dayal warned that such measures contribute to fear and insecurity among Christians, particularly in states witnessing repeated incidents of hostility and violence.
The All India Christian Council and other organizations, in a letter to the Union Home Minister presented data from the United Christian Forum, which showed 834 occurrences of violence or hatred against Christians in 2024 and 706 cases through November 2025. Citing reports of fake conversions, burial rejections, mob violence, and police inactivity, the letter singled out Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh as the worst-affected states,
Arguing that schools should uphold constitutional values of equality and coexistence and that national commemorations should not come at the cost of religious inclusion, Dr Nihal Nazim, a government school teacher in Moradabad, said cancelling Christmas sent a message to Christian students that their faith and identity were secondary in public institutions.
Former students echoed similar sentiments. Ansab, an alumnus of a Christian school in Aligarh, said Christmas had long been a shared cultural moment that transcended religious boundaries. Removing it from the school calendar, he said, reinforced a sense of exclusion and aligned with a wider climate of hostility towards minorities.
December 25 has been observed as Good Governance Day since 2014, when the central government declared Vajpayee’s birth anniversary a working day for government offices, effectively removing the Christmas holiday for central government employees. The move had drawn objections from Christian groups at the time as well.
While several other states like Delhi, Punjab and Kerala, continue to recognise Christmas as a school holiday, Uttar Pradesh has extended the observance to schools. Kerala’s education minister has recently cautioned against turning educational institutions into sites of communal contestation, reaffirming the need for inclusive recognition of festivals.
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Hormuz Strait disruptions have caused huge economic impact, energy instability in region: Navy chief
Mumbai (PTI): The Strait of Hormuz disruptions have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region, Indian Navy chief Admiral D K Tripathi said on Thursday amid the war in West Asia.
Speaking at an event where INS Sunayna, an offshore patrol vessel, set sail from Mumbai as Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar, the admiral said competition at sea has no longer remained confined to oil and energy.
It is now expanding towards resources that will shape future growth - such as rare earth elements, critical minerals, new fishing grounds and even data, he said.
The West Asia crisis began on February 28 after a joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran.
Iran's strikes on its neighbours along with its chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted the world's energy supplies with effects far beyond West Asia.
"With the conflict in West Asia well into its fifth week, the disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have caused severe economic impact and energy instability in the region," Tripathi said.
There is significant increase in the marine survey, deep-sea research activity, and Illegal Unreported and Unregulated Fishing (IUU), often encroaching upon the sovereign rights of littoral nations and exploiting gaps in monitoring and enforcement, he said.
Alongside these, threats such as piracy, armed robbery and narco-trafficking backed by unimpeded access of advanced technology to non-state actors, have also become more complex and challenging to counter, the Navy chief pointed out.
Last year alone, the Indian Ocean Region witnessed a staggering 3,700 maritime incidents of varying nature, the admiral said.
Additionally, narcotics seizures in the region exceeded USD 1 billion USD in 2025, highlighting the persistence and spread of such challenges in the region, he said.
