The Chhattisgarh High Court on Thursday clarified that no child could be compelled to recite Hindu prayers in government schools while hearing a challenge to a state government circular introducing Hindu prayers as part of the daily routine in government educational institutions.
The single-judge Bench of Justice Amitendra Kishore Prasad made these observations while hearing a writ petition challenging the constitutional validity of a circular issued by the State School Education Department on June 12, 2026, directing government schools across Chhattisgarh to conduct the recital of Saraswati Vandana, Gayatri Mantra, Guru Mantra, Deep Mantra and other Hindu prayers during school hours.
The counsel appearing for the state government submitted that although the circular had been issued in early June, it had not yet been implemented in any government school.
Recording the State’s submission, the Court disposed of the writ petition while granting liberty to the petitioners to approach it again if any child was found to have been compelled to participate in the recitation of the prescribed prayers. The Court observed that appropriate action would be taken if any such instance of compulsion was brought to its notice. A detailed order is awaited.
The petition was filed by former Chhattisgarh Waqf Board Chairman Abdul Salam Rizvi, former Minority Department Chairman Mahendra Chhabda and Bilaspur-based social activist Shafique Ahmed, challenging the circular that directed government schools across the state to conduct the National Anthem, National Song, Deep Mantra, Saraswati Vandana and Guru Mantra during school assemblies.
The circular also mandated reading biographies of eminent personalities, recitation of the Bhojan Mantra before serving mid-day meals, and chanting of the Gayatri Mantra and Shanti Mantra before students dispersed for the day.
The petitioners challenged the constitutional validity of the circular on the grounds that it violated the constitutional principles of secularism, freedom of conscience and the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution. It was contended that the mandatory inclusion of Saraswati Vandana, Gayatri Mantra, Guru Mantra and Shanti Mantra amounted to religious instruction and state-sponsored promotion of a particular religion in government educational institutions, rendering the circular unconstitutional.
The petitioners further argued that the circular neither provided any exemption mechanism nor protected the freedom of conscience of students belonging to different faiths or those who did not wish to participate in religious observances. According to them, the absence of such safeguards exposed students to compelled participation in religious activities contrary to their constitutional rights.
The plea also submitted that the circular failed to uphold the state’s constitutional obligation to maintain religious neutrality by according preference to the religious practices of one faith while excluding all others. It argued that prescribing prayers and mantras associated with a particular religion created an impermissible classification based on religion and undermined the secular character of public education.
According to the petitioners, institutionalising the religious practices of one faith in state-funded schools amounted to the state endorsement of a particular religion and was incompatible with the constitutional guarantees of equality, secularism and freedom of conscience, as well as the secular framework governing public education.
Taking note of the state government’s submission that the circular had not yet been implemented, the High Court declined to examine the constitutional challenge on merits at this stage. However, it categorically clarified that no student could be compelled to recite Hindu prayers in government schools and granted liberty to the petitioners to revive the proceedings if the circular was implemented in a manner that infringed students’ constitutional rights, freedom of conscience or the secular character of state-funded educational institutions.
The post No child can be compelled to recite Hindu prayers in government schools: Chhattisgarh High Court appeared first on India Legal.