Several states intend to introduce Bhagwad Gita lessons in schools. These states' governments have been developing a plan to start spiritual classes with the support of religious organizations. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said that Gita's verses will be included in the curriculum for grades V through X. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) has been working on generating textbooks on the Gita for the past four years, according to state government officials.
According to the official, the Gita is taught in accordance with NEP 2020, which places a high focus on value education in schools. "No new teachers will be hired to teach the Gita; it will be taught by those who are already enrolled in Haryana's state-run schools' Moral Science programs," the official stated.
In 2016, the Haryana government produced the first set of Moral Science textbooks, which included material proposals from RSS ideologue Dinanath Batra. Three chapters of the Gita were included in textbooks for schools VI through X. The Gita, according to Neeraj Mohan Puri, head of Satyug Darshan Vidyalaya in Faridabad, Haryana, is more than just a religious text; it also provides solutions to life's problems. "I am hopeful that it will be included in the curriculum. Several colleges around the world have included Gita's lessons into their curricula," says Puri, who suggests ways to include religious scripture teachings in schools without offending anyone. "In the school assembly, we can hold special assemblies; one student can recite a passage from the Gita." On certain days, parents and grandparents of children may be invited to participate in Gita teaching and learning.
Acharya Shivender Nagar, professor at KK Modi University in Chhattisgarh and founder of Vivek Niketan Educational Trust, teaches the Gita to MBA students. He believes that the Gita should be taught in schools without religious or ideological biases. "Religious cults should be kept out of such classes because there's a danger they'll start preaching gurudom or advocating their own interpretation of the Gita." Furthermore, youngsters should attend such sessions of their own free will, rather than being pushed to study the Bible," he says.
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