Chhattisgarh High Court Upholds Hindu Prayers in Government Schools, Calls Them ‘Moral Instruction’
The Chhattisgarh High Court has upheld a State government circular introducing the recitation of Saraswati Vandana, Gayatri Mantra, Guru Mantra, Shanti Mantra and other prayers during morning assemblies in government schools, holding that the measure amounts to “moral instruction” rather than religious instruction. Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad dismissed a petition challenging the circular, observing that the Constitution does not prohibit moral instruction in educational institutions so long as it remains detached from denominational religious teaching.
The petitioners had argued that the June 12, 2026 circular violated Articles 14, 21, 25 and 28 of the Constitution by effectively making Hindu prayers compulsory in schools wholly funded by the State. They contended that the directive infringed students’ freedom of conscience and breached the constitutional prohibition on imparting religious instruction in government-run educational institutions.
Rejecting the challenge as premature, the High Court noted that the petitioners failed to produce any evidence showing that students had actually been compelled to participate in the prayers. The Court observed that a plain reading of the circular did not establish compulsory participation and held that no fundamental rights had yet been shown to have been violated. It granted liberty to the petitioners to approach the Court again if any instance of coercion or forced participation comes to light.
Significantly, the Court drew a distinction between moral education and religious instruction, observing that the Constitution does not forbid the State from promoting ethical values through educational activities that are not tied to a particular religious denomination. On that basis, it concluded that the recital of the prescribed hymns and prayers, as contemplated by the circular, could not at this stage be treated as unconstitutional religious instruction under Article 28.
The ruling comes against the backdrop of an earlier hearing in the same matter, during which the High Court had clarified that no child can be compelled to recite Hindu prayers or Vedic hymns in government schools. At that stage, the State had informed the Court that the circular had not yet been implemented, and the Bench had made it clear that any complaint of coercion would invite judicial scrutiny.
The judgment has triggered widespread debate over the constitutional boundaries of value-based education in public schools and the interpretation of Article 28 of the Constitution. While the State government has defended the initiative as an effort to promote cultural values and moral development, critics argue that introducing prayers associated with a particular faith in State-funded schools raises important questions concerning secularism, equality and freedom of conscience. The High Court, however, has left the door open for future legal challenges if the circular is implemented in a manner that compels participation or infringes students’ constitutional rights.
