Dehradun: The Uttarakhand government has formally requested the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to incorporate the Bhagavad Gita and the Ramayana into the school syllabus of the state’s 17,000 government schools.
State Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat confirmed the development, stating that the initiative was discussed during a departmental meeting chaired by the Chief Minister.
Rawat added that until the new syllabus is officially introduced, students in these schools will recite selected verses from the Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana during their daily morning prayer assemblies.
This move aligns with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which encourages the integration of India’s cultural and civilisational heritage into the formal education system.
Meanwhile, NCERT has introduced a new textbook titled Veena, designed to connect students with India’s scientific progress and cultural legacy. One of its chapters, Ganga ki Kahani, follows the journey of the river Ganga from Gomukh to Gangasagar, weaving together elements of geography, spirituality, culture, and the economy through narratives involving cities like Haridwar, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Patna, Kanpur, and Kolkata. It also highlights traditions such as the Kumbh Mela and the lives of sadhus and ashrams.
Another chapter introduces the concept of Artificial Intelligence, explaining how machines learn and solve problems in a human-like way, with the goal of encouraging scientific thinking among middle school students. The book also features a chapter on India’s human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, focusing on ISRO’s goals and the role of the humanoid robot Vyommitra.
Moral and civic lessons are embedded in stories like Nyay Ki Kursi, which discusses justice and fairness through the examples of Raja Bhoj and Vikramaditya, and Haathi aur Cheenti, which teaches road safety through an animal fable. Additional topics include Kaziranga National Park, the art and history of the Ajanta and Ellora caves, natural methods of making colour, and the inspiring journey of Paralympic champion Murlikant Petkar.
NCERT has begun rolling out the revised textbooks across multiple classes, with some already in use and others expected to be released by the end of the year.
