Uttarakhand Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat announced on July 16 that the state has formally requested NCERT to incorporate the Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana into the syllabus of approximately 17,000 government schools. This decision stems from a directive in a meeting with the Chief Minister aimed at enriching students' education with India’s cultural and spiritual heritage .

Until formal integration is possible, Rawat said that verses from these sacred texts will be recited in daily school assemblies during morning prayers . This move aligns with the NEP 2020, which encourages the inclusion of Indian knowledge systems in education. Schools have already introduced daily Gita shlokas, complete with meanings and scientific interpretations, while textbooks for the next academic session are being updated.

Officials believe this blended approach will promote moral values, character building, scientific curiosity, and cultural awareness among students. Uttarakhand’s approach builds on similar initiatives in BJP-governed states such as Gujarat, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.