Now, Shankaracharya to be part of school syllabus in MP

Lessons based on the life and contributions of Adi Shankracharya will be included in the school syllabus in Madhya Pradesh “to eradicate social evils and caste discrimination from the society.”

Updated on: May 3, 2017, 09:04:20 IST

Hindustan Times, Bhopal | By Shruti Tomar

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Lessons based on the life and contributions of the 8th century philosopher and theologian Adi Shankracharya will be included in the educational curricula for schools in Madhya Pradesh.

Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi of Kanchi peeth, flanked by MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan releasing a book at the Adi Shankaracharya Prakatotsav organised to mark the birth anniversary of Adi Shankaracharya in Bhopal on Monday. (Mujeeb Faruqui/HT Photo)

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made the announcement on Monday at a programme organised to mark the birth anniversary of Adi Shankracharya in Bhopal.

Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswathi of Kanchi peeth attended the function.

Apart from syllabus, research work will also be carried out to collect all the historical things related to Adi Shankracharya.

The CM also announced that a big statue of Shankracharya will be erected at Omkareshwar. A museum and interpretation centre will also be set up at Omkareshwar.

On the occasion, the department of culture of MP also released a book on Adi Shankracharya.

The book included a list of announcements related to Adi Shankracharya, made by Shivraj Singh Chouhan during Narmada Seva Yatra at Omkareshwar on February 9.

According to Madhya Pradesh’s culture department, the basic objective of including the preaching of Shankracharya in syllabus is to eradicate the social evil and caste discrimination from the society.

Department of culture, principal secretary Manoj Shrivastava said, “With syllabus in school education, we want administrators to follow the teachings of Shankracharya while taking administrative decisions.”

However, opposition party feels that BJP-led state government is making such announcement for a political mileage.

Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee, spokesperson KK Mishra said, “Congress respects the preaching of Adi Shankracharya but BJP led state government is trying to gather support through religion and faith for 2018 assembly election as the government failed in developing the state. Why was the decision of Narmad Seva Yatra and including life and teachings of Adi Shankracharya in the curriculum not taken in the past 13 years?”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

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