From this academic session, Gujarat’s Class IX to XII students will study and recite selected verses from the Bhagavad Gita, following the state education department’s approval of new textbook content under the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB).
According to a circular issued to district education officers on August 1, chapters featuring Gita teachings have been added to language textbooks for the four classes. These include explanatory passages, exercises, and activities designed for both students and teachers, with a focus on correct pronunciation during recitation.
For example, Class IX students will now learn two chapters — My Guide — The Gita and Bhagavad Gita and I. Class X students will study Absolute Devotion and Guiding Light to Patriotism. Each chapter contains verses, interpretations, and guided activities; one Class IX exercise explicitly requires memorisation and recitation.
The move has drawn criticism from education activists and the Minority Coordination Committee, Gujarat, who have demanded equal inclusion of material from other religious scriptures to maintain balance in public education.
Ashok Agrawal, education activist, lawyer, and president of the All India Parents Association, argued that public education should promote critical thinking, not religious instruction. “It is not the job of the state to introduce religion to children. The materials have been prepared to encourage children to accept the texts as sacred. This is a dangerous emulation of the religious school model,” he said.
