The Indian state of Uttar Pradesh's (UP) Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) led government has announced an end to holidays for Eid Milad-un-Nabi, Jummat-ul-Wida, and 15 other public holidays, BBC Urdu reported.

The announcement was made on Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's Twitter account on Tuesday.

Besides the aforementioned holidays, days off to celebrate the birth of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, Chandar Shekhar, and Chaudhry Charan Singh have also been ended.

"On the birthdays of great personalities, educational institutes should organize assemblies of at least an hour long informing students of their personality, achievements and motivational teachings," the Chief Minister's office declared in a series of tweets.

It is important to note that CM Yogi Adityanath had previously hinted at abolishing holidays for celebrating the birthdays of personalities.

"If the purpose of these holidays is to remember the great personalities and to motivate people, then why don't we open schools for two hours on such occasions and inform the kids who these great people are?", he questioned an audience while speaking at an event to celebrate the birthday of the Indian constitution's architect.

A great majority of the holidays canceled by Yogi Adityanath's government were implemented by the former Akhilesh Yadav government.

Currently, there are 42 public holidays in UP, out of which 17 celebrate the birthdays of notable personalities.

Opinion

The Dar story continues

The Dar story continues

One wonders what the rationale was for the foreign minister — a highly demanding, full-time job — being assigned various other political responsibilities.

Editorial

Wheat protests
Updated 01 May, 2024

Wheat protests

The government should withdraw from the wheat trade gradually, replacing the existing market support mechanism with an effective new one over the next several years.
Polio drive
01 May, 2024

Polio drive

THE year’s fourth polio drive has kicked off across Pakistan, with the aim to immunise more than 24m children ...
Workers’ struggle
Updated 01 May, 2024

Workers’ struggle

Yet the struggle to secure a living wage — and decent working conditions — for the toiling masses must continue.
All this talk
Updated 30 Apr, 2024

All this talk

The other parties are equally legitimate stakeholders in the country’s political future, and it must give them due consideration.
Monetary policy
30 Apr, 2024

Monetary policy

ALIGNING its decision with the trend in developed economies, the State Bank has acted wisely by holding its key...
Meaningless appointment
30 Apr, 2024

Meaningless appointment

THE PML-N’s policy of ‘family first’ has once again triggered criticism. The party’s latest move in this...