Primary and Secondary Education Minister B.C. Nagesh on Monday said that the State Government will set up a committee to study the feasibility of including Bhagawad Gita into the school syllabus.
“We will set up a committee in a few days to study the possibility of making Bhagawad Gita as part of syllabus. I will also discuss the issue with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and seniors before deciding,” he informed the Legislative Council. He said that there has been discussion on having moral science in school syllabus, as parents are also demanding it. “We are aware of the Gita’s role in the subject of moral science,” he said.
Earlier, raising the issue in Zero Hour, BJP member M.K. Pranesh urged the State Government to introduce Bhagawad Gita in the syllabus. “Many people are averse to the book due to its sheer size with 700 shlokas. If it is introduced in school, children will be in a position to appreciate it from childhood,” he argued.
He also pointed out that the Gujarat Education Minister has announced that Gita will be introduced in school syllabus for classes VI to XII from the 2022-2023 academic year. “Karnataka should also introduce Gita in school syllabus,” he said.
A day after the announcement by Gujarat, several Ministers in the BJP Government in Karnataka have batted for inclusion of Gita in syllabus in Karnataka as well.
Opposition leaders, on the other hand, have said that the State’s focus should be more on improving quality of education. Leader of the Opposition in Assembly and Congress leader Siddaramaiah has said that he is not opposed to inclusion of Gita, but any change in syllabus should not violate Constitutional principles.
JD(S) leader H.D. Kumaraswamy has said that the more urgent need is improving the education system and BJP should refrain from using emotional issues for vote bank politics.
