Overview
- Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary inaugurated 551 new ‘Saraswati Vidya Niketan’ model schools, a move reported by multiple outlets as taking place on Sunday.
- Sources in the Bihar education department say officials were directed to paint the Saraswati Vidya Niketan schools saffron instead of conventional colours such as pink or sky blue.
- Opposition parties including the RJD and AIMIM staged protests inside and outside the Bihar Assembly and accused the government of injecting religious symbolism into public education.
- Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari and allied JD(U) leaders defended the choice as cultural symbolism tied to Goddess Saraswati and prosperity and urged critics to focus on education quality.
- The government has not issued a detailed written explanation of the colour directive and the dispute could affect local political battles and wider debates about use of public funds for culturally charged symbols.