Books, not bouquets, to welcome guests in MP

All district education offices and government schools in Madhya Pradesh will now gift books to chief guests of functions they conduct, instead of flower bouquets.

All district education offices and government schools in Madhya Pradesh will now gift books to chief guests of functions they conduct, instead of flower bouquets.

The decision was taken after the department believed that the money being put in to buying flowers would eventually go waste and that books would be a better replacement. (Pic for representation)

The Directorate of Public Instructions (Lok Shikshan Sanchanalaya) has issued directions to all district education officers of the state to invest the amount currently being used for buying flowers in purchase of informative books.

However, the Indore education department has been following this practice for long, although a formal circular regarding the new decision was issued only recently.

Akshay Singh Rathore, district project cordinator (DPC) said, “Both school education minister Vijay Shah and minister of state for school education Deepak Joshi had always maintained that we welcome them with books instead of flowers. The order must be new for many, but in Indore, we have been following this for long. We present books to our guests as a token of love in all our functions.”

The decision was taken after the department believed that the money being put in to buying flowers would eventually go waste and that books would be a better replacement. “We often welcome guests with flowers, but that is nothing more than wasting money because flowers are eventually disposed off after they wither. So why not gift a book instead? Books are informative and stay with you forever,” said Rathore.