Valour of soldiers to be part of school curriculum: Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan

New Delhi, August 12

The BJP-led NDA Government on Friday said the valour of Indian soldiers would be made a part of the school curriculum.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan made the announcement on the occasion of the felicitation of 25 winners of “Veer Gatha” contest wherein school students were to submit essay, poem or drawing entries celebrating freedom fighters and the gallantry of Armed Forces personnel.

He said the Education Ministry in consultation with the Defence Ministry will work to include the valour of soldiers and India’s Veer Gatha in the last 75 years into the school curriculum and textbooks. 

Learn the importance of striking a balance between bravery and wisdom, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said to the winners.

The feted entries included essays on the courage and sacrifices of freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and Khudiram Bose and of the gallantry award winners like Major Somnath Sharma, Subedar Sanjay Kumar, Sepoy (Honorary Captain) Baba Harbhajan Singh, Havildar Veer Abdul Hameed, Captain Vikram Batra, Captain Manoj Pandey, Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, Col Santosh Babu, and Col Mitali Madhumita, the first woman officer in the Indian Army to receive a gallantry award.

“These fearless freedom fighters and Armed Forces personnel, who served their motherland, come from different parts of the country and belong to different religions. But, one thing that is common among them is their love for India. They are bound by the common thread of patriotism. All students are bound together by patriotism too,” Singh said.

‘Veer Gatha’ contest (SUPER-25) was part of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ and was organised to inspire awareness among children about freedom fighters and gallantry award winners.

In the nationwide competition from October 21 to November 20, 2021, over 8.04 lakh students from 4,788 schools participated in the contest, with 25 being awarded today. Each winner got a prize of Rs 10,000, a medal and a certificate in the presence of Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar, Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Vice-Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen BS Raju.

Later, Pradhan also suggested renaming the contest to ‘Sena Super 25’ in the honour of the soldiers and said soon the Education Ministry would develop an institutional mechanism for awarding academic credits for certificates received under this initiative.

Tiger Hill hero narrates his tale

On the occasion, Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Yogendra Yadav narrated his real-life story of the Kargil War where he overcame all odds and played a central role in capturing Tiger Hill which was one of the turning points in India’s historic victory. He encouraged the children to take inspiration from the courageous soldiers who selflessly serve the motherland without caring for personal safety.

#Dharmendra