Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday, 20 July directed the state's School Education Department to leverage this year's Guru Purnima celebrations to actively promote the Indian knowledge system and the guru-shishya tradition across schools, aligning the initiative with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The directive positions Guru Purnima — falling on 29 July this year — as a platform for value-based education reform in Madhya Pradesh.

Key Directives from the Chief Minister

Reviewing preparations for the occasion, Yadav instructed officials to organise statewide programmes under the banner of 'Maharshi Sandipani Shraddha Parv', ensuring participation from educational institutions across the state. Guru Pujan ceremonies are to be held in all schools and colleges, with local public representatives invited to attend. Students are also to be familiarised with the lives and values of Lord Krishna and Sudama as part of the cultural curriculum embedded in the celebrations.

Booklet on Maharshi Sandipani and the Gurukul System

The Chief Minister asked the School Education Department to prepare and distribute a dedicated booklet on Maharshi Sandipani — revered in Hindu tradition as the guru of Lord Krishna — covering his contributions to education and the Gurukul system. The booklet will be circulated in schools to deepen students' understanding of India's traditional knowledge heritage. Additionally, officials were directed to complete the inauguration of all pending Sandipani school buildings before 29 July so they can be formally incorporated into the statewide celebrations.

NEP 2020 and the Cultural Education Link

This year's Guru Purnima activities will be explicitly tied to the implementation of NEP 2020, with a focus on value-based education, the Indian knowledge system, and the preservation of traditional educational heritage. Yadav stated that Guru Purnima is a festival of 'serving, honouring and seeking the blessings of teachers,' and that the ideals of the guru-shishya tradition must be 'widely propagated' in line with NEP's objectives. This comes amid a broader national push to integrate Indian cultural and philosophical frameworks into formal schooling under the NEP architecture.

Public Participation and Collective Responsibility

Officials were instructed to ensure that 'Maharshi Sandipani Shraddha Parv' is celebrated with active public involvement, featuring activities that highlight Indian cultural values and the teacher-disciple tradition. Yadav stressed that strengthening respect for teachers and reinforcing faith in Indian cultural values is a 'collective responsibility' — particularly for the younger generation. The Madhya Pradesh government has previously promoted Maharshi Sandipani through various educational initiatives, and this year's programme marks a significant scaling-up of that effort.

What to Expect on 29 July

Statewide school and college events, newly inaugurated Sandipani school buildings, distribution of the Sandipani booklet, and participation by local elected representatives are all expected to mark the day. The scale of the initiative signals the state government's intent to make Guru Purnima a recurring anchor event for cultural and educational outreach under the NEP framework going forward.