The Jammu and Kashmir School Education Department (SED) has ordered that morning assemblies in educational institutions shall begin with the National Anthem, following standard protocol. According to the circular issued by Principal Secretary to the government for the School Education Department, Alok Kumar. The circular read, “To kickstart a school day on a positive note and to instill a sense of unity and discipline among students, morning assemblies at the start of the school day have proven to be an invaluable ritual of the schooling system”

Kumar further stated that morning assemblies serve as platforms to nurture the values of moral integrity, shared community, and mental tranquility. “However, it has been observed that this significant ritual and tradition is not being carried out uniformly across various schools in JK UT,” the circular notes.

The Principal Secretary emphasized that to maintain uniformity, it is impressed upon all stakeholders to conduct morning assemblies across their respective schools according to the guidelines. “Morning Assembly shall be of 20 minutes duration, and all students and teachers shall assemble at the designated area at the commencement of the school schedule,” the guidelines read. It further states, “Morning Assembly shall begin with the National Anthem as per standard protocol.”