‘Vague, misconceived’: Allahabad high court junks plea for direction to teach Bhagavad Gita in school

Allahabad High Court has dismissed a plea filed “in public interest” seeking a direction that the Bhagavad Gita should be a part of the school curriculum and asked the petitioner to make a representation before the Uttar Pradesh education board instead, reports have said. The petitioner, Brahma Shanker Shashtri, wanted the Gita to be taught as one of the subjects to students of all classes “in the overall interest of the society”.

A bench of justice Pankaj Mithal and justice Saurabh Lavania said on Wednesday that Shashtri’s petition was “vague and misconceived” while observing that he may approach an appropriate authority such as Board of High School and Intermediate Education, Uttar Pradesh or any other concerned board or university in the state.

“The writ petition as filed is completely vague and misconceived and is dismissed...” the high court bench said. “In case, the petitioner wants to include Bhagavad Geeta as one of the subjects in the syllabus of intermediate, he may approach the appropriate authority such as Board of High School and Intermediate Education, Uttar Pradesh or any other board or university concerned, which he considers proper for including it as a subject or as a part of the syllabus of one of the subjects,” it observed.