Schools across Uttar Pradesh will remain open on December 25, 2025, as the state government has decided to organise programmes marking the birth centenary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the traditional Christmas holiday.
Student attendance has been made mandatory for the day.
According to an official order issued by the Uttar Pradesh Basic Education Department, government primary and upper primary schools will conduct speeches, cultural events, and remembrance activities honouring Vajpayee’s life and legacy, effectively replacing the Christmas holiday.
The directive applies statewide and coincides with the conclusion of Vajpayee’s centenary year celebrations. Schools have been instructed to ensure full participation and organise commemorative activities as part of the observance.
The move follows demands by Bajrang Dal leaders in Saharanpur, who called for December 25 to be observed as “Bal Gaurav Diwas” and Good Governance Day instead of Christmas. A memorandum submitted by the group urged the education department to take action against schools that celebrate Christmas and demanded programmes promoting what it termed “Indian values.”
The delegation argued that December 25 should commemorate the birth anniversaries of educationist Madan Mohan Malaviya and Vajpayee, rather than the birth of Jesus Christ. They also called for poetry recitations, speeches, and essay competitions based on Vajpayee’s works.
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from Christian organisations, educators, students, and civil rights activists, who say it marginalises the Christian community and undermines the secular character of public education.
A spokesperson for a leading Christian organisation described the order as “deeply disrespectful to the cultural and religious sentiments of millions of Christians.”
Dr John Dayal, Secretary General of the All India Christian Council and a member of the National Integration Council, said the move amounted to replacing “the most sacred day in the Christian calendar” with a politically driven commemoration.
“This reflects a sustained pattern of marginalisation of the Christian community,” Dayal said. He added that such decisions normalise hostility and deepen fear among minorities. He called for the immediate reinstatement of the Christmas holiday and respect for constitutional secular values.
In a separate representation to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Christian groups warned of a sharp rise in targeted violence, citing United Christian Forum data that recorded 834 incidents in 2024 and 706 cases till November 2025. Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh were identified as the most affected states.
Educators have also expressed unease. Dr Nihal Nazim, a government school teacher in Moradabad, said cancelling Christmas sends a troubling message to students.
“Christmas is a day of faith, identity, and dignity for Christian students,” he said. “Removing it tells them their beliefs are negotiable in a public institution meant to belong equally to all.”
Former student Ansab, from a Christian school in Aligarh, said the decision fits into a broader pattern of minority exclusion. “Christmas was a shared cultural moment across religions. The state now wants to erase that,” he said.
Good Governance Day was declared in 2014, when the Union government designated Vajpayee’s birth anniversary as a working day, removing Christmas as a holiday for government employees. The move was challenged by Christian groups at the time.
Several states, including Kerala, Delhi, and Punjab, continue to observe Christmas as a school holiday. Kerala’s education minister recently warned against turning schools into “communal laboratories” and reiterated the importance of inclusive observance of festivals.