Supreme Court dismisses plea for recitation of Preamble during morning assembly in schools

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to formulate a national policy mandating the daily recitation of the Preamble to the Constitution during morning assemblies in schools nationwide [Dheeraj Kumar v. Union of India & Anr].

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and Augustine George Masih refused to entertain the plea, remarking that the Preamble is already part of the foundational school curriculum and is taught to students across the country from Class 6 onwards.

The PIL was instituted by Dheeraj Kumar, an Assistant Professor at Rajdhani College, Delhi University, through Advocate-on-Record Rohit Kumar.

The petitioner sought a writ of mandamus directing the Union Ministry of Education and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to frame a nationwide policy framework to promote constitutional literacy among school students.

The plea submitted that regular and collective engagement with the Preamble akin to the rendition of the National Anthem during morning prayers would instill foundational values of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity from an early age, in furtherance of the fundamental right to education under Article 21A and fundamental duties under Article 51A(a).

To support the prayer, the petition placed reliance on circulars issued by the governments of Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Karnataka, which had previously directed state-run and affiliated schools to have students recite the Preamble during morning assemblies.

The petition further cited CBSE's May 2025 circular encouraging daily positive affirmations in assemblies, contending that reciting the Preamble was the ultimate affirmation of civic consciousness.

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