India, Jan. 23 -- Maharashtra education commissioner Sachindra Pratap Singh on Thursday announced steps to ensure patriotic engagement of students across the state. All schools will conduct a mass patriotic song recitation on Republic Day under the theme, 'Nation First'. Over two crore students from more than one lakh schools and over seven lakh teachers are expected to participate.

"Many schools declare a holiday on January 26. However, no school will remain closed this year and no student should stay at home. Attendance must be 100%," Singh said. "The initiative is aimed at instilling a sense of patriotism, discipline and health awareness among students. Through this collective drill, we want students to experience unity, self-discipli...