SC refers Constitution Bench to hear case over morning prayers in KVs

New Delhi, Jan 28: The Supreme Court on Monday referred to constitution bench, a plea challenging compulsory recitation of Sanskrit and Hindi hymns in the morning assembly of the Kendriya Vidyalayas.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre and the Kendriya Vidyalaya management for a response on a public interest litigation (PIL). It alleged that the morning prayers in the schools propagate Hinduism.

The report says: "In his plea, Madhya Pradesh resident Veenayak Shah said that compulsorily recitation of prayer based on Hindu religion in the morning assembly created obstacles in development scientific temperament among students."

In his petition, Jabalpur-based lawyer Shah said that compulsory singing of 'Asato Ma Sadgamaya' at the school assembly every morning strangles the spirit of scientific inquiry and amounts to "religious instruction" which is prohibited under the Constitution. It also challenged the education code for KVS schools. This code requires morning assemblies to begin with the Sanskrit verse as a "common prayer" and end with another Sanskrit hymn, 'Om Saha Navavatu'. The petition said that the practice "creates a lot of obstacles in developing a scientific temperament" and that the prayers lead students to an inclination towards seeking God's help instead of finding solutions to everyday problems.