‘State govts can allow teaching of Bhagwat Gita to school students if they want’
New Delhi, Dec 20 (PTI):
State governments can allow the teaching of the Bhagwat Gita to school students if they want, the government told Lok Sabha on Monday. Replying to members’ questions in the Lower House, Union Minister for Education Annapurna Devi said that state governments can also make provisions for the teaching of the Bhojpuri language in schools if they want. She added that under the new education policy, the education of children in regional languages has been made compulsory. “Education comes in the concurrent list of (the Constitution). If the states want, they can add Bhagwat Gita in curriculum.
“Under the CBSE (central board of secondary school education) pattern, Bhagwat Gita is already taught in various classes. If states want they can add Bhagwat Gita,” the minister told the House during the Question Hour. She was replying to the question from BJP’s North Mumbai MP Gopal Shetty. The BJP member wanted to know from the government if it is considering bringing provisions for the teaching of Bhagwat Gita to school students across the country. While asking his question, Shetty also suggested that the Congress members read Bhagwat Gita “so that they get the wisdom to do good work”.
Congress members were at that time protesting in the House over Lakhimpur Kheri violence and demanding the sacking of Union Minister for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra as his son Ashish Mishra is one of the accused arrested in the case. “Some contents from the Bhagwat Gita are already there for the students of classes Class 6, 7 and 8. Bhagwat Gita is taught,” the minister said in her reply. In response to a written question in Lok Sabha, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan informed that Bhagwat Gita is also incorporated in the syllabus for the UGC-NET examination for the Yoga subject.
