Since its Independence from Britishraaj in 1947, India has crossed many milestones and created history in many fields of developments. However, despite these achievements, its quite unfortunate that the current budget allocation for education sector is just 3.8 %  , Rs 68,968  crore of the total outlay of Rs.17,77,477 crore. It is a great misfortune of our country that, in the matter of educational policy, the voices of even the greatest personalities, whose names stand out prominently as men of integrity and as our national leaders, are not properly heeded! Though our present-day leaders often quote Mahatma Gandhi in their lectures in order to find support to their policies and to win public sympathies , in the matter of education, they almost disregard even his views.

Mahatma Gandhi had clearly expressed his views on educational policy when he said: “I know that there is a school of thought which believes in only secular instruction being given in public schools. I know also that, in a country like India, where there are most religions of the world represented, and where there are so many denominations in the same religion, there must be a difficulty about making provisions for religious instruction. But if India is not to declare spiritual bankruptcy, religious instruction of the youth must be held to be at least as necessary as secular instruction."

The Education system in India undergoes change every five years when a new government comes to power. It’s a fact that we all have witnessed over last few years specifically. It should also be noted that ever since India adopted the present Constitution, the word secularism has been bandied about wrongly so as to block all efforts to introduce moral and spiritual education. Even though one Education Commission after another has recommended the introduction of moral education, the Government continues to disregard their recommendations in the fancied interest of a false secularism. The result is that things continue to deteriorate more speedily than before.

Sri Aurobindo had clearly said that “To neglect moral and religious education altogether is to corrupt the race. The notorious moral corruption in our young men, previous to the saving touch of the Swadeshi movement, was direct result of the purely mental instruction given to them under the English system of education”. Hence it would not be wrong to say that a person without moral and spiritual education, is sub-human whose life is worth not a penny. One can quote views of many other national leaders like Dr. Radhakrishnan, Vinoba Bhave, among others, extensively in support of the above contention. But there seems to be no need for this because the policy makers very well know about all these views. Then where is the hitchIJ Its simply lack of realisation of the need to formulate a consistent education policy in which moral education and the practice of meditation form a part of our educational system. However if it is not realised soon, than it may lead to a moral vaccum which may further give rise to crime, corruption, cruelty, violence, and extremism.

The need of the hour is not just introduce moral education, but there also is a need to know the nature of consciousness or the self because it is not enough to teach physics, chemistry,maths and science. “Education must enlighten a person about the self or the Mind.  Aurobindo has said: “The true basis of education is the study of human mind. Any system of education founded on theories of academic perfection, which ignores (mind) the instrument of study, is more likely to hamper and impair intellectual growth than to produce a perfectly equipped mind”. likewise, Schrodinger, the physicist who was awarded Nobel Prize for research in Wave Mechanics, wrote in his book- titled Science and Humanism Who are weIJ The answer to this question is not only one of the tasks of science but the task of science."

Today scientific research has established it very clearly that Meditation has many benefits for the individual and the society, then why the Government does not introduce it in schools and collegesIJ The answer to this question might, perhaps, be that there are so many systems or kinds of meditation in vogue and the government does not know which one to introduce. This, however, does not seem to be the sufficient reason to block the introduction of a very important and useful subject for all time. A way will have to be found to determine which form or forms are the best among the dozen or more that are in vogue. If the results are judged from the benefits which accrue to the practitioners in respect of their physical, mental, spiritual and social health, that should be a sufficient ground to consider its introduction in some schools to begin with on trial basis atleast. The other criterion could be whether the principles on which it is based are universal, scientific and psychologically correct. Furthermore, the Government could give recognition to institutions who impart moral and spiritual education and teach Meditation along with giving its students a broad international outlook. So, let us raise demand for education reforms by coming together in unity and get rid of our laidback attitude to move into the age of enlightenment where our thoughts will be constantly loving, pure and harmonious.