States will be able to teach Gita in schools: Center

No special provision has been made in the new education policy

Education is a matter for the states so they are free to decide on this issue: Education Minister

New Delhi: If the state governments want, they can start teaching Bhagavad Gita to students in state schools, the Center said in the Lok Sabha today. Replying to a question from MPs in the lower house of Parliament, the Union Education Minister said that the state government could also make provision for introducing Bhojpuri language in schools.

Under the new education policy, teaching of regional language has been made compulsory for school children. Education is the subject of state governments so they can add Bhagavad Gita education to the school curriculum if they wish.

The Bhagavad Gita is still being taught in some classes as per the pattern of Central Board of Secondary School Education (CBSE), so if any state government wants, they can start teaching Bhagavad Gita in schools, the minister said during Lok Sabha Question Hour.

The education minister made the remarks in response to a question from Gopal Shetty, a BJP MP elected from the North Mumbai Lok Sabha seat. In fact, Gopal Shetty wanted to know from the central government whether the central government itself was considering any legal provision to start teaching Bhagavad Gita in schools across the country.

While Shetty was asking his question, the Congress MPs were making a lot of noise so he suggested that the Congress MPs should also read the Bhagavad Gita so that they too could be motivated to do good deeds. However, ignoring his suggestion, the Congress MPs were protesting on the issue of violence against farmers at Lakhimpur-Khiri.