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Bhagavad Gita to be part of syllabus for Classes 6 to 12 in Gujarat: Education minister
The decision will be applicable for all government and aided schools affiliated to the Gujarat secondary and higher secondary education board.
The Bhagavad Gita will be part of the school syllabus for classes 6 to 12 students in Gujarat from the academic year 2022-23, the state’s education minister Jitu Vaghani announced in the legislative assembly on Thursday.
“The aim is to introduce the values and principles enshrined in the Bhagavad Gita in school curriculum,” Vaghani said, during a discussion on budgetary allocation for the education department.
The decision will be applicable for all government and aided schools affiliated to the Gujarat secondary and higher secondary education board.
“The decision was in line with the Union government’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which recommends the introduction of modern and ancient culture, traditions and knowledge systems so that students feel proud of India’s rich and diverse culture,” the minister added.
For students of Classes 6 to 8, the scripture will be introduced in the textbook of ‘Sarvangi Shikshan’ or holistic education, according to a press statement released by the state education department on Thursday. For classes 9 to 12, it will be introduced in the form of storytelling in the textbook of the first language, it added.
“Schools will organise activities based on the scripture such as prayers, shloka recitation, comprehension, drama, quiz, painting and elocution competitions. Study materials such as books and audio-video CDs will be provided to schools by the government,” the release added.
The Opposition Congress said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government was trying to use the decision to divert attention from “shortage of teachers and schools in rural areas”.
Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said those talking about implementing the Bhagavad Gita in schools should first take some lessons from it. “At a time when 6,000 schools have been shut down in rural areas and amid a shortage of math and science teachers, the government seems to be trying to divert attention with such decisions.”
Welcoming the move, senior educationist and a former school principal Dr Kirit Joshi said the introduction of the Bhagavad Gita in schools was a step in the right direction.
“It is on the lines of the NEP-2020. The Bhagavad Gita shows how to have compassion for fellow humans. Studying Gita helps in the overall development of a person. It should not be seen from a religious point of view but how human values can be upheld by studying the Gita,” Joshi said.
