Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy visited the Art of Living Ashram in Bengaluru on Monday, 25 May 2026, where he sought blessings from spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and interacted with members of the Art of Living community.

Context

The minister described the meeting as an opportunity to draw from Gurudev's 'words of wisdom' that, in his words, 'always inspire us towards contributing to society and our country.' Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is the founder of the Art of Living Foundation, an international non-governmental organisation headquartered in Bengaluru that runs stress-management courses, rural development initiatives, and value-education programmes across India and abroad.

During the visit, Kishan Reddy also toured the Gurukul and Exhibition Centre on the ashram campus, observing ongoing work in value-based education, spiritual awareness, and social transformation rooted in India's cultural heritage.

Policy Backdrop

The visit comes against the backdrop of sustained policy emphasis on integrating Indian knowledge systems into formal education. The National Education Policy 2020 explicitly encourages the inclusion of value education and cultural heritage frameworks in school and higher-education curricula across the country.

The Art of Living's gurukul model — which combines academic instruction with ethical grounding and cultural awareness — aligns closely with the discourse around holistic education that the NEP 2020 has amplified at the national level. BJP-led governments at the centre have consistently highlighted such institutions as exemplars of culturally rooted learning.

Stakeholders and Impact

The Art of Living Foundation runs educational and rural outreach programmes that directly touch students, youth volunteers, and rural communities across multiple Indian states. Its gurukul initiative in particular focuses on character-building alongside academic learning, drawing participants from diverse socio-economic backgrounds.

Union ministers from the ruling party have periodically engaged with prominent spiritual and cultural organisations, signalling alignment between governance priorities and India's civilisational heritage. Kishan Reddy, who also serves as BJP Telangana state president, represents a key southern constituency for the party, and such outreach carries both cultural and political resonance in the region.

What's Next

Observers will watch for any follow-up announcements on potential collaboration between the Coal Ministry or affiliated government bodies and the Art of Living's rural or educational programmes. Broader discussions on the implementation of NEP 2020 — including the role of non-governmental and spiritual institutions in value-based education — are expected to continue in the next parliamentary session.

The minister's engagement with the Art of Living community underscores the BJP's broader cultural outreach strategy ahead of upcoming electoral cycles in southern India, particularly in Telangana, where the party is seeking to consolidate its presence.