Bihar's Model Schools Painted Saffron: JD(U) Raises Concerns, Opposition Cries 'Saffronisation'

The Bihar government's decision to repaint all 551 Model Schools in the state saffron has sparked a political debate, drawing criticism not only from the opposition but also from the BJP's ruling alliance partner, the Janata Dal (United).

The schools, renamed Saraswati Vidya Niketan (for classes 9 to 12), were formally launched by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Sunday in Begusarai. In a post on social media platform X, CM Choudhary said, “We have heralded a new age in education by inaugurating 551 Saraswati Vidya Niketan from Begusarai, the land of poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar.” The state government highlighted that the schools are equipped with digital infrastructure, e-libraries, smart classrooms, and will offer free coaching for competitive exams like JEE and NEET.

However, the directive from the education department to paint all school buildings saffron — replacing existing colours such as pink, sky blue, or yellow — has become a point of contention. The order mandates immediate compliance, specifying that exterior walls be saffron, interior classroom walls white, and main gates golden.

JD(U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar expressed concern, stating, “Education has no colour. It must align only with the spirit enshrined in the Preamble of the Constitution, not with any specific colour on school walls.” He also noted that the names of land donors for some schools are now being placed below the 'Saraswati Vidya Niketan' signage, whereas they believe donors' names should precede the new name.

A headmaster of a Model School, speaking on condition of anonymity, said earlier there were no specific colour guidelines, and choices were left to headmasters. “The new education department letter specifies uniformity across all model schools,” the headmaster said.

Opposition parties have criticised the move, calling it the “beginning of the saffronisation of education”. RJD national spokesperson Subodh Kumar Mehta said, “We saw it coming. It is nothing but the beginning of the saffronisation of education. This is the RSS model of education.” Bihar Congress spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari added, “The BJP is adept at changing colours. They are trying to give education a fixed colour, which is detrimental to democracy. It also signals that Bihar has entered the post-Nitish Kumar era. The BJP is slowly walking into the RSS trap.”

Defending the move, BJP state vice president Santosh Pathak said the colour saffron represents “energy and positivity”. He added, “The Opposition is unnecessarily politicising a progressive infrastructure upgrade that will benefit thousands of students.” Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari earlier remarked that the Opposition was choosing to “see everything through an RSS prism instead of looking at the large-scale improvements.”

The JD(U) is a key ally in the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government in Bihar. Its public expression of concern highlights internal differences within the ruling coalition over the policy.