Students in Gujarat will now answer roll calls with 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat' instead of the current 'yes sir' and 'present sir,' reported Press Trust of India.
According to the news agency, a notification regarding this was issued on Monday (31) and the new initiative is to foster patriotism among students.
As per the notification, issued by the Directorate of Primary Education and Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB), students from class 1 to 12 in government, grant-in-aid and self-financed schools will have to respond to the attendance call with 'Jai Hind' or 'Jai Bharat,' starting January 1.
This decision was taken by the state education minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama in a review meeting held on Monday.
Interestingly, Gujarat is not the first state to implement such a change. In May 2018, the Madhya Pradesh government issued orders asking students to answer roll calls by saying 'Jai Hind.'
The order read: "It has now been made compulsory for all 1.22 lakh government schools in the state to answer attendance roll calls by saying Jai Hind instead of yes sir/ma'am. This is the decision taken by state government to instil patriotism among students."
Anti-Racism protesters come out in support of refugees outside the Cladhan Hotel on September 13, 2025 in Falkirk, Scotland. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)