DECIDE ON YOGA IN SCHOOLS SOON, SC TELLS CENTRE

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court directed the Centre on Tuesday to decide within three months whether yoga should be made compulsory for students of Class 1-7.

A bench headed by Justice MB Lokur asked the government to consider petitions filed before it as a representation and give its final opinion.

The petitions had sought a direction from the ministry of human resources and development, National Council of Education Research and Training, National Council for Teacher Education and Central Board of Secondary Education to “provide standard textbooks of yoga and health education to the students”.

The court order comes at a time when the NDA government has already pitched for making yoga education compulsory in schools. Critics have expressed concern over the move, saying it reflected the government’s agenda to promote Hindutva.

However, the petitions before the SC justified teaching yoga to school students. It said ‘Right to Health’ is an integral part of the ‘Right to Life’ under the Article 21 and includes protection of health.

“State has an obligation to provide health facilities to all the citizens, especially to children and adolescents. In a welfare state, it is the obligation of the State to ensure the creation and sustenance of conditions congenial to good health,” the petition read.