History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.880

v6.c82.880

One can only express the hope that the above mentioned recommendations of the Committee of distinguished astronomers and Sanskrit scholars will receive a wide and hearty response from the Hindu people and that the present confusion and anarchy in the matter of religious observances in our country will come to an end as soon as possible. The Government of India accepted the principal recommendations of the Committee by issuing a Press Note on 23rd October 1956 which decided that the Uniform National Calendar should be adopted with effect from March 22, 1957 corresponding to (Solar) Chaitra 1, 1879, Śaka Era, for certain official purposes in conjunction with the Gregorian Calendar and laid down the steps to be taken by the Central Government and the States Governments for implementing the decision. To avoid misunderstandings and to encourage the use by the mass of the people of this Solar Calendar, Government has decided to make use of both the Gregorian Calendar and the New Indian Solar Calendar together in some Government business, such as publishing the Indian Government Gazette with both dates, the All India Radio Broadcasting news every day announcing both dates at the beginning. But Government is not going to give up as far as possible the practice of declaring public holidays on religious festivals according to the old Calendars. The Government will publish translations of the Calendar Reform Committee's Report in the principal languages of India. It must be said however that this Calendar does not remove all the defects of the Gregorian Calendar.¹¹³¹ The years will still commence on different week days and the number of days in each month still varies. It is feared that this will add only one more calendar to the existing ones.