Overview

• An Education Ministry letter dated September 11 asked CBSE, KVS and NVS to have schools show the 32-minute film between September 16 and October 2.
• The Information & Broadcasting Ministry announced a special re-release from September 17 to October 2 with screenings in lakhs of schools and nearly 500 cinema halls, including PVR Inox, Cinepolis, Rajhans and Miraj, under the ‘Chalo Jeete Hain: Seva Ka Sanman’ initiative.
• Implementation varies, with some schools postponing or skipping in-person screenings due to mid-term exams and circulating the official YouTube link instead.
• Officials say the screenings support Prerana’s focus on character, service, responsibility and social-emotional learning through audiovisual pedagogy.
• The film, directed by Mangesh Hadawale and presented by Aanand L. Rai and Mahaveer Jain, won a National Award and is described as inspired by a childhood incident from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s life, while Congress has criticised the drive and alleged students are being forced to watch it.