Ahmedabad: The Gujarat government has announced that value-based lessons from the Bhagavad Gita will be mandatory in first language textbooks for Classes 9 to 12. The content will be included in Gujarati, Hindi, Urdu and English versions of the textbooks.
The move is supposedly part of the state’s rollout of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which places emphasis on integrating Indian culture, traditions, and knowledge systems into the education framework. The Bhagavad Gita, a revered Hindu scripture from the Mahabharata, is one of India’s most widely read spiritual texts and has historically been translated by figures across faiths, including Persian by Mughal prince Dara Shukoh (son of Shah Jahan).
However, the move is likely to be seen as another instance of Hindutva policies being forcefully imposed on India’s education system. A few years ago, the then BJP-led Karnataka government enforced a ban on hijabs in schools, leading to nationwide protests and disrupting the education of Muslim girls who faced discrimination.
Notably, when the Gujarat government presented the proposal to make Bhagavad Gita lessons mandatory in schools, it was unanimously backed in the Assembly, with even the Opposition parties like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress supporting the move, according to The Wire.
Minister of State for Education Praful Pansheriya said the initiative aims to help students connect with India’s rich and ancient cultural heritage. “Students will feel proud and connected to the diverse traditions of India through the teachings of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita,” he said.
Last academic year, the government had introduced a supplementary Bhagavad Gita textbook for students of Classes 6 to 8, launched on the occasion of Gita Jayanti. The government has indicated that additional parts for senior classes would follow. Currently, many schools in the state already include Gita recitation as part of morning assemblies.
However, the move has also sparked constitutional concerns. The Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind (JUEH) has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Gujarat High Court, arguing that privileging the religious text of a single faith in a secular curriculum raises serious questions. While the court declined to stay the resolution, the case is still pending.
In its petition, the JUEH said that while values drawn from Indian traditions may be included in education, doing so solely through the lens of one religious scripture risks undermining secular principles.