Ahmedabad schools launch daily meditation drive to curb rising aggression, ETEducation
Ahmedabad: In the wake of rising anger-related incidents among students — including a shocking case in which a student was killed inside a school — authorities in Ahmedabad launched a large-scale initiative to restore emotional balance among children.
Recently, a student at Seventh Day School in Maninagar was allegedly murdered by another student over a minor dispute, raising serious concerns regarding student behaviour and the growing culture of impulsive violence. Reports suggest that even trivial matters are increasingly culminating in fights, clashes, and, in extreme cases, fatal attacks.
To address this growing crisis, the Ahmedabad City district education officer (DEO) introduced the “Billion Minutes of Peace Appeal Project“. Under this programme, students across approximately 1,800 schools in the city will practise 10 minutes of meditation every day. Over 5 lakh students already began taking part.
The project aims to teach students how to remain calm, manage anger, and develop emotional control. Officials believe the rise in violent behaviour among children is partly linked to excessive mobile phone usage and the general stress of modern life, leading them to vent their frustrations on classmates.
Teachers have been directed to conduct guided meditation sessions on school premises. Along with quiet practice, students will also be taught ways to handle conflict, respond thoughtfully to provocation, and recognise signs of emotional distress.
Authorities hope that this initiative will significantly reduce aggression on campuses and help foster a more peaceful atmosphere. By promoting mindfulness and self-discipline, the programme seeks to prevent impulsive actions and encourage students to think before reacting.
The education department will monitor the programme’s progress over time, expecting meaningful behavioural improvements among students.
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