Bhagavad Gita to be part of school syllabus for Classes 6 to 12 in Gujarat: Govt
Gandhinagar, Mar 17: The Gujarat government on Thursday announced in the Assembly that the Bhagavad Gita will be a part of the school syllabus for Classes 6 to 12 across the state from the academic year 2022-23.
Education Minister Jitu Vaghani made the announcement in the legislative Assembly during a discussion on budgetary allocations for the education department.
The decision to introduce the values and principles enshrined in the Bhagavad Gita in school curriculum was in line with the new National Education Policy (NEP) unveiled by the Centre, which advocates the introduction of modern and ancient culture, traditions and knowledge systems so that students feel proud of India's rich and diverse culture, the minister said.
Speaking to reporters later, Vaghani said people from all faiths have accepted the moral values and principles outlined in the ancient Hindu scripture.
"Hence, we have decided to introduce the Bhagavad Gita in the school curriculum for Classes 6 to 12. For students of Classes 6 to 8, the scripture will be introduced in the textbook of 'Sarvangi Shikshan' (holistic education). From Classes 9 to 12, it will be introduced in the form of storytelling in the textbook of the first language," he said.
Schools will also organise activities based on the scripture such as prayers, shloka recitation, comprehension, drama, quiz, painting and elocution competitions, he said.
Study material such as books and audio-video CDs will be provided to schools by the government, the minister added.
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Work to build bullet train's origin station in Mumbai progressing very fast: Vaishnaw
Mumbai (PTI): Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Saturday that the work to construct the bullet train’s origin station at BKC in Mumbai is progressing rapidly.
Vaishnaw visited the under-construction underground station at Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) and reviewed its on-ground progress.
He was accompanied by officials from the National High-Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), which is executing the over 500 km-long Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project, along with representatives from Central Railway and Western Railway.
He said the lowest B3 basement level and the strengthening of the station walls have been completed.
"The work at the bullet train's origin station in BKC is progressing very fast. The station wall work has been started, and simultaneously, the tunnel work is progressing very fast," the Railway Minister told reporters.
Beyond the tunnel portion (Shil Phata), all ongoing works are moving at a high speed in the Maharashtra section following the land acquisition, he added.
He said a multi-storey structure is planned at the BKC station.
"The operational areas will be located on levels B1 to B3. The B3 will serve as a train parking area, B2 will house operational functions, and B1 with the ground level will serve passengers. Work is underway to build this world-class station," he added.
NHSRCL officials said that approximately 76 per cent of the excavation work at the BKC bullet train station has been completed.
Following the inspection, the Minister proceeded to Pune, where he was scheduled to flag off two long-distance trains later in the evening.
The total cost of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor project is estimated at Rs 1.08 lakh crore. As per the shareholding arrangement, the Government of India will contribute Rs 10,000 crore, while the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra will each contribute Rs 5,000 crore. The remaining funding will be provided through a loan from Japan at 0.1 per cent interest.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had last week said that the ambitious bullet train project will become operational by 2028.
