India's Supreme Court opened the way today to a new school curriculum that critics say could inject religious bias into education and undermine the country's secular foundation.
A three-judge bench rejected a public-interest petition opposing the new syllabus, saying the study of religions did not contravene India's secular constitution.
Critics have accused the Hindu nationalist-led coalition government of inserting its ideology into textbooks and rewrite history in what has been called the "saffronization" of education. Saffron is the color traditionally associated with Hinduism.
But the court, led by Justice M. B. Saha, said the Constitution did not ban religious study. "Students should know about their own religion and religions of others," it said.
Critics say the syllabus extols Hindu civilization and achievements and plays down the accomplishments of India's Muslims. It includes references to ancient Hindu scriptures like the Vedas and Vedic mathematics and recommends compulsory teaching of Sanskrit, described as the mother of all Indian languages.
The court, while upholding the new curriculum, cautioned against any "personal prejudice, religious dogmas and superstitions" creeping into the curriculum.
States are free to fashion their own curriculum under India's federal structure, but the National Council of Educational Research and Training — which wrote the disputed syllabus — guides them.