Gujarat Government Makes Bhagavad Gita Mandatory in Textbooks for Classes 9 to 12

The Gujarat government has decided to make value-based lessons constituting Bhagavad Gita compulsory in the first language textbooks of students in Classes 9-12 in a major move to educational reform. The reason behind this move is to inculcate morality and ethics in students through their association with Indian cultural and spiritual heritage.

What the New Policy includes? 

School textbooks from academic year 2025-26 onwards will have chapters devoted to the Bhagavad Gita, as part of language curriculum in Gujarat, Hindi, Urdu and English. These chapters will also be incorporated in textbooks directly in case of Gujarati medium students. Additional booklets containing teachings of Bhagavad Gita will be provided to Hindi, Urdu and English medium students.

They revolve around value-based teachings that occur in the chapters and are meant to instill knowledge of living an ethical life, self-discipline, contentment, and self-control, which are major principles of the holy text in Hinduism. E.g., Hindi textbooks, the lessons of the Class 9 entitled Margdarshika Gita and Bhagavad Gita Aur Main, or the lessons of the Class 10 called Samarpan and Desh Bhakti Ki Sanjeevani have been included.

Background and Rationale

The move is one of the strategies that Gujarat has applied to the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 to ensure active incorporation of Indian culture, traditions and knowledge systems in the education system. The Bhagavad Gita is discussed by the government as a religious book but also by them as a general and all round lesson on how to live a good moral life and the lessons taught could be applied to a person of any background.

Minister of State for Education, Praful Pansheriya, said, “Students will feel proud and connected to the rich, diverse, ancient culture and knowledge systems of India through the teachings of Shrimad Bhagavad Gita.” This government initiative does not center on religion, however, the government further indicates that it serves the purpose of providing life intelligence and developing character.

In its previous academic year the Gujarat government had introduced an additional Bhagavad Gita textbook to classes 6th to 8th and this text book was placed in numerous schools. The new step, under an assumption that the general response was positive, also incorporates the upper classes (9 to 12) to engage them more on the teachings of the scripture.

In addition to textbooks, Bhagavad Gita recitations in morning assemblies in many schools also forms part of the value based education system in Gujarat.

Controversies and Challenges

The ruling has evoked an argument over the place of religious books in a secular education system. Others oppose it on constitutional grounds on the basis that using a Hindu scripture in school curricula can turn off other religious students. This move was challenged by the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind (JUEH) through a public interest litigation (PIL) process to the Gujarat High Court on the question of its constitutional validity. The court has not allowed the policy to be stayed till further hearing.

In spite of these arguments, the policy garnered massive support in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly with parties, including the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress supporting the policy.

The Gujarat government moved to introduce lessons on Bhagavad Gita in first language textbooks to Classes 9-12 is a historic move in retro-fitting education to ancient cultural and ethical heritage in India under the NEP 2020. As it attempts to instill the moral lesson in students, relocation remains divisive by raising the issues on how secularism can be incorporated in the public schools. In any case, the program is a sure bet to transform the value education of thousands of students in the state beginning this academic year.