Reading Preamble mandatory at schools and colleges in Karnataka

The Congress government in Karnataka on Thursday decided to make it mandatory for schools and colleges, both government-run and private, to read the Preamble to the Constitution every day.

On International Democracy Day, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah attended a reading of the Preamble near the Vidhana Soudha, the state Assembly, on Friday.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and fellow cabinet members Dr G Parameshwara, Ramalinga Reddy, Eshwar Khandre, KJ George, and Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad also attended the Preamble reading event.

State minister for Social Welfare, HC Mahadevappa, said, "The citizens need to discharge their basic duties as are enshrined in our Constitution. Hence, across schools and colleges, the reading of the Preamble to the Constitution is being arranged to make children aware of the ideals and principles that went into making it while also informing them of the constitutional responsibilities."

According to sources, the government has made it mandatory for students and teachers at all educational institutions of the state to read the Preamble during the morning prayers and take an oath to adopt and incorporate the constitutional principles in their everyday lives.

"The Constitution was a gift to all the citizens from BR Ambedkar. It is a sacrosanct statute book stressing fairness and equality. Hence, there is an important purpose behind reading the Preamble. It will help our children understand the basic principles and ideas on which our country was founded," Mahadevappa said.