DIVINE LESSONS - Bhagvad Gita in MP schools

Bhopal Students of classes 1 to 10 in Madhya Pradesh government schools will be taught lessons from the Bhagvad Gita from the current academic session. The books were ready to be dispatched to every school, top state officials said on Thursday. Overriding protests from leaders of other religious communities since chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan came up with the idea last year, the state is well on its way to start the Gita Saar (summarised teachings from the holy book) lessons from 2011-12.
The only small technicality left for the books to roll is a clearance from the state syllabus committee.
The Gita lessons will not be part of the curriculum, but would supplement regular subjects in the same way as moral science, physical education and other disciplines are taught. A part of it, however, may get into the Hindi literature syllabus.
“The study material is ready and from this academic year students will get to learn the teachings of Gita,“ said Rajneesh Vaish, principal secretary to the school education department. He said the state was considering a proposal to incorporate teachings from holy books of other religions as well, but could not say for certain if and when that would be done. He said the matter was with the state syllabus committee.
The Madhya Pradesh Pathya Pustak Lekhan Committee had prepared the study material after the chief minister's suggestion was accepted in a meeting of its standing committee and had sent them to the Rajya Shiksha Kendra or state education centre.
Govind Sharma, chairman of the Pathya Pustak Lekhan Committee, confirmed that the books had been sent to the Rajya Shiksha Kendra (state education centre) for consideration.