Reading of preamble to be mandatory in Karnataka schools

The Karnataka government is set to make a daily reading of the preamble of the Constitution in schools and colleges mandatory. Social welfare minister HC Mahadevappa discussed the proposal at a meeting of his department and later tweeted about it on his social-media handle. Officials said the move would be first implemented this year in about 850 residential schools run by the social welfare department. Activists and educationists welcomed the government’s move. “The preamble sets out a goal for what kind of society we aim for. It is important that children understand this. I request the government to similarly launch a Constitution-literacy programme the way the Kerala government has done. The Constitution should be in everyone’s home and heart. The government should teach children Dr B R Ambedkar’s contribution to the Constitution and his writings on our constitutional values,” said Vinay Sreenivasa, a social activist. Ajay Kamath, state secretary of the All India Democratic Students Organisation, urged the government to uphold “the values of scientific education.”