RAIPUR: Schools across Chhattisgarh will begin daily recitation of the Gayatri Mantra and other Hindu prayers along with the national anthem and national song from the academic session 2026-27, under a new directive issued by the state education department, officials said on Tuesday. The order also lays down a set of compulsory cultural, educational and value-based activities to be conducted at three fixed intervals during the school day. The new academic session in the state commenced on Tuesday.
Details of the Directive
As per the School Education Department’s June 12 directive to all District Education Officers (DEOs), morning assemblies will include the national anthem, national song, Deep Mantra, Saraswati Vandana, Guru Mantra and readings from biographies of eminent personalities. During the mid-day meal, students will collectively recite a food prayer (Bhojan Mantra), while the closing session of the day will include the state song, Gayatri Mantra and Shanti Mantra.
Officials said the move aims to instil patriotism, discipline, moral values and cultural awareness among students, while strengthening their connection with Indian traditions and national ideals. DEOs have been instructed to ensure strict compliance, with inspections to be carried out and administrative action proposed against school managements or principals found violating the guidelines.
Opposition Reaction
Reacting to the decision, the Opposition Congress questioned the inclusion of religious chants in government schools and alleged that the BJP government was pushing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) agenda. The party demanded immediate withdrawal of the order.
“Recitation of the national anthem, national song and state song is appropriate. But why have the Gayatri Mantra, Deep Mantra, Saraswati Mantra and Bhojan Mantra been made mandatory? The government appears determined to turn schools into Saraswati Shishu Mandirs. Imposing the RSS agenda in government schools is wrong,” said Chhattisgarh Congress communication department chairman Sushil Anand Shukla. Saraswati Shishu Mandirs are schools run by Vidya Bharati Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Sansthan, the education wing of the RSS.
Shukla added that students from all religions, castes and communities study in government schools, and making specific religious recitations compulsory could hurt sentiments of other faiths. India is a secular country and the Constitution guarantees equal respect for all religions, he said, adding that education in government institutions should not be based on any single faith. He also warned that the move could trigger similar demands from other communities for inclusion of verses from the Quran, Gurbani or the Bible.
Former Deputy CM Criticizes Order
Senior Congress leader and former deputy chief minister T S Singh Deo also criticised the order, calling it contrary to constitutional values. Speaking to PTI Videos in Ambikapur on Tuesday, Singh Deo said religious practices in schools should remain voluntary. “Those who wish to worship their deities or recite religious mantras should be free to do so. But such practices cannot be imposed on followers of other religions. Forcing anyone to participate in the religious traditions or prayers of another faith is completely wrong,” he said.
Singh Deo urged the state government to withdraw the order and suggested that students and teachers unwilling to participate should be allowed to opt out.
