Gandhi Peace Exam for inmates in Maharashtra jails on October 2

A 'Gandhi Peace Exam' will be organised in jails across Maharashtra on October 2, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, a city-based organisation which propagates the values of the Father of the Nation said on Thursday.

"Around 450 jail inmates, including surrendered Naxalites and about 1.7 lakh students will appear for the Gandhi Peace Exam to mark the 147th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi which is also observed as an International Non-violence Day," a statement issued by Mumbai Sarvodaya Mandal said.

"Gandhiji believed in change of heart. While inculcating Gandhi's ideology among the youth, it is essential to help bring about a change of heart amongst the jail inmates and make them responsible citizens," the mandal's managing trustee Tulsidas Somaiya told PTI.

He said, objective type questions have been prepared and students as well as examinees are given the literature on Gandhiji well in advance to study for the examination. The mandal has got permission from the state's Inspector General of Prisons, to conduct the examination in all the jails of Maharashtra, so as to give the prisoners an opportunity to evoke a sense of remorse through inculcation of moral values in their minds and make them realise the power of truth and non-violence, he said.

During the Gandhi Jayanti Week, nearly 450 inmates from Chandrapur, Akola, Yervada, Bhandara, Nagpur and Byculla jails will appear for the examination. The examinees include 90 surrendered Naxalites of Chhattisgarh.

The trust has already announced to sell the books written by Mahatma Gandhi or those penned on him at 50 per cent discount beginning from October 2.

Set up in 1952 during the Bhudan Andolan (land gift movement) of Acharya Vinoba Bhave, the trust has been engaged in programmes to spread the message of Gandhi by holding seminars, workshops, meetings, youth camps etc.