HYDERABAD: In a major change in the academic calendar that truly represents the Telangana culture, chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao directed the education department officials to increase Dasara holidays to 15 days for schools and reduce Sankranti holidays to just two days every year.
The holidays for schools should be 15 days for Dasara festival and two days for Sankranthi, Rao told the officials. All the government and private schools should invariably follow the revised academic calender, the chief minister said.
The change in the calendar was to give more focus on Telangana festivals. Bathukamma and Dasara were big festivals in Telangana.
Rao gave these directions after releasing Bathukamma poster, prepared by women employees of the Telangana Secretariat here Tuesday.
Rao opined that Telangana festivals were neglected in the combined Andhra Pradesh state and there was a disparity even in announcing holidays for schools for these festivals.
The academic calendar would be prepared in future giving more thrust to Telangana festivals, he said.
Rao said that Bathukamma was not confined to a particular caste or religion and entire Telangana society would celebrate the festival. Historic persons, heroic deeds of the past generations, family relations, sacrifice and love would be reflected in Bathukamma songs, the chief minister said adding Bathukamma has become a part and parcel of Telangana culture. Bathukamma was a major tool for the renaissance of Telangana, Rao said.