A day after Jaipur Mayor Dr Ashok Lahoty's directive asking the employees of Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) to sing the national anthem in the morning and the national song in the evening became applicable, India Today checks out the ground reality at the corporation premises.

The motive behind this was to ascertain whether the mayor and other employees actually know the national anthem and song or not, and if the directive, in any way, has helped in improving the attendance at the Jaipur Nagar Nigam.

The collective belief is that this directive will help in improving attendance and generate patriotic fervour.

India Today found out that the Jaipur mayor was able to recite Vande Mataram, the national song, but most of the employees of JMC were not able to sing even a few lines. Similarly, few people knew the national anthem well.

Even several senior officers India Today spoke to, seemed ill at ease when asked to recite Vande Mataram. But they insisted that the move will help in making the corporation staff disciplined and will help generate patriotic fervour.

DS Rathore, DC in the Vigilance Department, when requested to sing the national song began reciting national anthem. When his mistake was pointed out, he claimed that the time for national song is in the evening.

Here is the conversation that took place:

India Today : Do you agree with the custom of singing National song and National Anthem which has started at the Jaipur Municipal Corporation?

DS Rathore : I definitely agree. A very good custom has been started. It is a good thing to sing national song.

India Today: Do you think the employees will come on time because of this? Earlier, there used to be complaints that employee do not come on time.

DS Rathore: No, employees used to come on time. If they did not come on time, then it was marked absent. But now because this is a good beginning, the employees are feeling good by singing the national anthem. This has been a very good message.

India Today: Request you to sing a few lines of the national song.

*Sings national anthem instead*

India Today: National song, Vande Mataram?

DS Rathore: The time for Vande Mataram is later, in the evening. No, I know it. But the time for it has been decided in the evening.

Another officer, Deputy Commissioner Badri Parasad Sharma, admitted that he did not know Vande Mataram. However, he claimed that he could sing the national anthem.

This is how he replied to India Today's questions:

India Today: Do you agree with the custom of singing national anthem and national song?

Badri Prasad Sharma : I do agree, its a good thing.

India Today: I request you to sing the national song once.

Badri Prasad Sharma: I can sing Jan Gana Man but I dont't know Vande Mataram.

India Today: Why is that?

Badri Prasad Sharma: Will learn, have started now.

India Today: Please sing National Anthem once.

*Sings National Anthem partially*

Do you know only this much?

Badri Prasad Sharma: No, I know it completely and have recited it.

Another employee Komal Yadav could only sing the national song partially. This is how the conversation with her went:

India Today: What do you have to say about the practice that has started at the Jaipur Municipal Corporation of singing national anthem in the morning and national song in the evening.

Komal Yadav: If there is any such thing called patriotism left, then its right. Soldiers also do it on our borders for the nation.

India Today: Can you sing the national anthem for us?

Komal Yadav: Will I have to sing it completely?

*Sings National Anthem partially*

Will be able to sing this much only.

India Today: What about national song?

Komal Yadav: I won't be able to sing that completely.

India Today: As much you know.

*Sings national song partially*

Komal Yadav: Won't be able to sing it completely. No, I know it but won't be able to sing it right now.

Even though the mayor's order asking the employees to sing the national anthem and national song has been appreciated by the JMC employees, it was apparent that many of the officials India Today spoke did not know the national anthem or the song.

Jaipur mayor makes national anthem mandatory, but does everyone in his office know their Jana Gana Mana?

India Today found out that the Jaipur mayor was able to recite Vande Mataram, the national song, but most of the employees of JMC were not able to sing even a few lines.