Is singing a Hindu prayer in KVs permissible? SC decides
What's the story
The SC has sent a notice to the Center over the Hindi prayer sung in Kendriya Vidyalayas (KV) around the country in the morning, which, according to a petitioner, promotes Hinduism. But government schools can't propagate any religion, the SC observed, asking why the prayer should be continued. "It's a serious constitutional issue," the court said. But what makes the prayer unconstitutional?
Information
The contentious prayer sung in KVs
The prayer sung in KVs, the 'Daya kar daan vidya ka' religious song, has been in use since 1964. Presently, there are 11L students enrolled in the over 1,125 KVs across India. All students are supposed to sing the prayer in the morning assembly everyday.
Petition
Petitioner claims the prayer is objectionable on these grounds
A PIL against the prayer has been filed by advocate Veenayak Shah, whose children have graduated from KV. Singing it "creates a lot of obstacles in developing a scientific temperament among the students," the petition claims. According to Article 28(1), no educational institution run on state funds can provide "religious instruction." Under Article 19, students can't be forced to recite the prayer, it argued.