Minister wants Gita, Vedas in school curriculum

Maharashtra Education Minister Vinod Tawde on Saturday said he was of the view that Bhagwad Gita, Vedas and Upanishads should be introduced in school curriculum so that students can derive knowledge and benefit from their rich contents.

The minister said that the said religious texts should be taught to students in a simple language so that they can easily grasp their teachings.

Tawade was speaking at an event meant for the launch of Bhaktivedanta Vidyapeeth Research Centre (BVRC), which is affiliated to the University of
Mumbai.

BVRC has been set up by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to award diplomas and certificates in various disciplines and also PhD in Philosophy to students.

“I want to introduce to Bhagwad Gita in schools from class one so that its contents can be absorbed by students in easy languages.

" Bhagwad Gita essentially has in depth knowledge and can be easily followed by students who can apply them in their day-today lives. Our Vedas and Upanishads are not just religious scriptures but are of immense philosophical value to us,” Tawde said.

“All these (Vedas, Upanishads) should not be confined to temples but also disseminated to the common man, including students. They are a way of life and should be brought in education curriculum,” he said.

However, Tawde did not elaborate whether his government would make efforts in this direction.

Tawde also stressed on the need for students to learn their mother-tongue effectively and not just English and other Indian languages. While English is necessary to get employment, knowledge of one's mother-tongue is absolutely necessary for complete knowledge and understanding, he said.

The education minister said his government is setting up an Education Board to promote local languages in the country for the benefit of students.

The aim of the government is to go from local to global in the field of education.