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CHENNAI: In a move that has triggered criticism, the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan's (SSA) Tamil Nadu project directorate has directed headmasters of government and aided schools to collect the details of how many teachers and students respond to the Prime Minister's call to light lamps and candles and switch on cellphone torchlights on Sunday night.

Maneesh Garg, joint secretary, department of school education and literacy, Union ministry of human resource development, has issued a direction to all states to gather information on advisory to schools, mode of communication to students and parents, and number of students who participated.

The SSA state project directorate has forwarded his letter to all chief educational officers and district educational officers directing headmasters to gather the details.

"Since there are no platforms to communicate with students and their parents studying in government and government-aided schools, it is not possible to gather the information," said a headmaster from a city school. Officials have forwarded the directions through WhatsApp. "This exercise is useless. Instead of gathering information on how many students are lighting candles, we may gather information on how many students are getting food during the lock down," said A Peter Raja, president, Tamil Nadu High and Higher School Headmasters' Association.

Tamil Nadu Students Parents Welfare Association president S Arumainathan said there was no need to involve the teachers and students in the exercise as it would not lead to any "meaningful outcome".

Officials from Samagra Shiksha Abhiyhan were not available for comment.

