Uttarakhand govt considering making Gita, Ramayana, Vedas and Puranas as part of school syllabus

Dehradun, May 2 (PTI) The Uttarakhand government is considering making scriptures such as the Gita and Ramayana, vedas and puranas as part of the school syllabus.

Announcing this at a programme in Doon University on Saturday, state Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat said this is being considered as students must know about the country's rich cultural heritage and knowledge traditions.

Taking a dig at the minister, state Congress chief Karan Mahra said the government should pay more attention to employment-based education. In the new education policy, states have to prepare their syllabus for schools.

However, Rawat clarified that before taking any decision in this regard, the advice of people will be taken.

Reacting to this, Mahra said there is nothing wrong in educating students about their culture but before doing anything of that sort, it would be better if the education minister himself first studies about personalities from Uttarakhand.

"We are not opposed to the vedas or our culture. Whoever wants to study them should get an opportunity to do so but nothing should be done forcibly," the Congress leader said.

However, students of Uttarakhand should first know about their own state in detail, he said.

Besides, the state government should pay more attention to employment-based education, which helps students earn a livelihood, he said.