Pune: Schools across Pune district marked the first day of the new academic year with enthusiastic activities — ranging from traditional welcomes and tree-planting drives to Vedic rituals and district-level enrolment programmes — all designed to create a welcoming environment for students.Schools greet students with flowers & traditions on day 1 of new academic yearThe celebrations coincided with the state government’s School Praveshotsav 2026 campaign, which seeks to promote quality education across Maharashtra.Deputy chief minister and Pune guardian minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar attended the district-level programme at the PM Shri Adarsh Kendra Zilla Parishad Primary School in Kanhe.Addressing students, teachers and parents, Pawar said the government is committed to ensuring that students from rural areas are not left behind in an era shaped by technology and artificial intelligence. “The government is committed to providing quality, modern and technology-enabled education to every child,” she said.Maharashtra Education Society’s chief executive officer Sachin Ambardekar attended the ceremony at Smt. Vimalabai Garware Prashala in Deccan Gymkhana, where the school launched the academic year by planting a tree on the campus.Murlidhar Lohia Matrumandir on Tilak Road inaugurated the new academic year with a traditional Vedic ritual and a Gurukul-themed display, where students dressed up as ancient Indian gurus Vyas, Vashishtha, Sandipani, Kripacharya and Dronacharya. Principal Madhuri Barve told Hindustan Times, “The ritual symbolically seeks wisdom, discipline and success in education while connecting young learners with India’s cultural traditions.”New English School, also on Tilak Road, introduced parents and students to the institution’s history and legacy, helping them connect with the school’s long-standing educational tradition.