"Make “Health and Yoga Science” a mandatory part of curriculum": PIL in Delhi High Court

A Public Interest Litigation in the Delhi High Court has sought direction to make “Health and Yoga Science” a mandatory part of the curriculum up to 8th Standard for the overall development of children as well as enhancing their knowledge, potentiality and talent, and development of their physical & mental abilities to the fullest extent in spirt of S. 29 of the RTE Act 2009.

The PIL filed by Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay has further sought direction to declare that the “Right to Education, guaranteed under Article implies Right to Holistic Integrated Equal Quality Education”.

It has been stated that the Right to Health (Article 21) and Right to Education (Article 21A) are complementary and supplementary to each other. Therefore, it is the duty of the State to make “Health and Yoga Science” mandatory part of the curriculum.

The plea has submitted that "for strengthening social fabric of democracy through provision of equal opportunity to all has been accepted since inception of our republic and Article 21A was inserted to provide holistic integrated uniform education to all children aged 6-14 years as a fundamental right and subsequently RTE Act was enacted."

"It’s necessary to state that 3 Judges Bench of Appellate Court of California (USA) has held that Yoga is a secular activity and Apex Court has also expressed similar view in three cases hence it is duty of the State to provide standard textbooks of Health & Yoga Science for students," the plea added.

It has been informed that with the enactment of the RTE Act, Health & Yoga Science has become a right of 6-14 years children, however, it has remained named-sake on papers and is the most neglected subject. Marks are not awarded for Health & Yoga Science in the annual exam and even the teachers of Kendriya Vidyalaya and Navoday Schools say that Health & Yoga Science is not a compulsory subject.

Cause Title: Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay Vs. Union of India & Ors.