The daily routine inside Chhattisgarh's schools is set for a notable change from the next academic session. The state government has decided that from the 2026-27 academic session, every school must recite the Gayatri Mantra and several other Hindu prayers each day, in addition to the national anthem and the national song. The instruction is fully mandatory. Notably, the new academic session in the state has already begun on Tuesday.
The government's reasoning is straightforward. By holding daily cultural, educational and values based activities, it wants to kindle a sense of patriotism among students, boost their intellectual growth, and connect them to Indian culture and traditions.
Three Fixed Slots Through the School Day
According to an official, the School Education Department sent the order to all District Education Officers (DEOs) on 12 June. Under it, every school will now have to conduct these compulsory activities at three separate times during the day.
As per the new guidelines, the morning assembly will be the most elaborate. It will feature the national anthem, the national song, the Deep Mantra, the Saraswati Vandana, the Guru Mantra, along with readings from the biographies of great personalities. At lunchtime, all students together will recite the Bhojan Mantra. The final session of the school day will then include the state song, the Gayatri Mantra and the Shanti Mantra.
Administrative Action for Any Slack
The official said the aim behind the entire initiative is to instil patriotism, discipline, moral values and cultural awareness in students, while binding them to Indian traditions and national ideals.
The government has left little room for laxity here. DEOs have been directed to ensure the order is followed strictly. Officials will inspect schools from time to time, and any school management or principal found violating the set guidelines could face administrative action.
Congress Questions the Move, Calls It Against the Constitution
The decision had barely surfaced before the Congress went on the offensive. The party asked why reciting Hindu prayers should be made compulsory when students of other faiths also study in these schools. The Congress accused the BJP government of trying to impose the RSS agenda through schools.
Sushil Anand Shukla, chairman of the communication department of the Chhattisgarh Congress, said India's education system has traditionally given equal respect to all religions. He warned that the mandatory recitation of Hindu religious mantras in government schools could push people from other communities to demand the inclusion of verses from the Quran, the Gurbani or the Bible.
Senior Congress leader and former Deputy Chief Minister T.S. Singh Deo also criticised the step. He described it bluntly as being against the spirit of the Constitution.
