Gayatri Mantra, Saraswati Vandana Made Compulsory in Chhattisgarh Schools; Lawyers' Body Calls Move Unconstitutional

New Delhi- The All India Lawyers Association for Justice (AILAJ) has strongly opposed a recent directive issued by the Government of Chhattisgarh requiring government schools across the state to conduct daily recitations of religious mantras and invocations, describing the move as a violation of the Constitution and the secular character of the Indian Republic.

In a detailed statement, AILAJ criticized Circular No. GENCOR-35010/1981/2026 dated June 12, issued by the School Education Department of Chhattisgarh. The circular mandates that, beginning with the 2026–27 academic session, all government schools must incorporate a prescribed sequence of recitations, including the Deep Mantra, Saraswati Vandana, Guru Mantra, Bhojan Mantra, Gayatri Mantra, and Shanti Mantra, as part of the daily school routine.

According to AILAJ, the directive goes far beyond matters of school discipline or administration and effectively introduces compulsory devotional practices associated with a particular religious tradition into institutions wholly funded by the State.

Violation of Article 28

The lawyers' body argued that the circular directly contravenes Article 28(1) of the Constitution of India, which unequivocally states: "No religious instruction shall be provided in any educational institution wholly maintained out of State funds."

AILAJ noted that the constitutional prohibition is absolute and does not permit exceptions based on consent, cultural heritage, or value education. Government schools, being entirely funded and administered by the State, fall squarely within the ambit of this provision.

The organization emphasized that constitutional jurisprudence has consistently distinguished between education about religion and participation in religious practices. While the former may be permissible in certain contexts, compulsory engagement in devotional activities is not.

Supreme Court Precedents

Citing the Supreme Court's judgment in D.A.V. College v. State of Punjab (1971), AILAJ pointed out that religious instruction includes the teaching and inculcation of the tenets, rituals, ceremonies, and modes of worship of a particular faith. The mandatory recitation of mantras such as the Gayatri Mantra and Saraswati Vandana, it argued, clearly falls within this category.

The statement also referred to Aruna Roy v. Union of India (2002), in which the Supreme Court upheld the study of religions and ethical traditions only on the condition that such instruction would not involve worship, ritual, dogma, or indoctrination.

Further, AILAJ cited Anjum Kadari v. Union of India (2024), where the Supreme Court reiterated that Article 28 prohibits the inculcation of religious tenets, rituals, and modes of worship in educational institutions wholly maintained by the State.

Referring to the landmark judgment in S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994), the organization said that religion cannot be mixed with the secular functions of the State and that government institutions must maintain religious neutrality.

Government schools, AILAJ said, are civic institutions intended to serve all citizens irrespective of religion, caste, community, or philosophical belief. Introducing the liturgy and devotional practices of one religious tradition into the compulsory daily routine of such institutions undermines that constitutional obligation.

The statement also invoked Articles 51A(e) and 51A(h), which call upon citizens and institutions to promote harmony, scientific temper, humanism, and the spirit of inquiry and reform.

AILAJ expressed concern that the directive places children from diverse religious backgrounds, as well as those who profess no religion, in a position where participation in a particular religious tradition becomes an expected part of public education.

The organization stressed that the Constitution protects not only the freedom to practice religion but also the freedom to refrain from religious observance. It cited the Supreme Court's ruling in Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala (1986), which affirmed that constitutional freedoms do not end at the school gate.

AILAJ clarified that it has no objection to the singing of the National Anthem, the National Song, or other genuinely secular educational activities in schools. Its objection is limited to the compulsory recitation of devotional prayers and religious invocations in institutions funded entirely by public money.

The organization has urged the Chhattisgarh government to immediately withdraw those portions of the circular that mandate the recitation of the Saraswati Vandana, Guru Mantra, Deep Mantra, Bhojan Mantra, Gayatri Mantra, and Shanti Mantra in government schools.

AILAJ also referred to the Allahabad High Court's judgment in Hindu Front for Justice v. Union of India (2016), where a plea seeking compulsory religious education in educational institutions was rejected. The court had observed that while the study of all religions could promote harmony, the State's priority should be improving educational quality, infrastructure, and staffing.

Concluding its statement, AILAJ asserted that the Constitution envisions a Republic in which the State belongs equally to all citizens and accords preference to none in matters of faith. Public education, it said, must remain free from religious compulsion and institutional promotion of any particular religious ideology.