The Madhya Pradesh government has rolled out Sandipani Schools, an initiative aimed at combining elements of the traditional Gurukul system with modern education, including science, technology and digital learning.

According to a government statement, the initiative under the leadership of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and seeks to integrate value-based education with contemporary subjects such as artificial intelligence, robotics and digital technology.

In Madhya Pradesh, Sandipani Vidyalaya refers to the state government’s renamed high-tech CM Rise Schools, inspired by the ancient ashram of Acharya Sandipani. CM Mohan Yadav had in April this year announced that the CM Rise Schools in the state will be called ‘Sandipani Vidyalaya’, inspired by the Sandipani Ashram of Hindu mythology.

Guru Purnima today

Coinciding with Guru Purnima today, the state is organising the Sandipani Alankaran Ceremony at Madhav Science College in Ujjain. The government also observed a Guru Purnima Fortnight from July 15 to July 29, during which it said more than 40,000 saplings were planted under the “One Guru, One Tree” campaign, the statement said.

Guru Purnima is a traditional festival that honors spiritual and academic teachers, also known as gurus. It is celebrated on the full moon day in the Hindu month of Ashadha (June–July). The day marks the birth anniversary of sage Maharishi Ved Vyasa and commemorates the legacy of the first guru.

The initiative draws inspiration from Maharishi Sandipani, whose ashram in Ujjain is associated with the education of Lord Krishna, Balarama and Sudama in Hindu tradition. The government said the schools aim to revive aspects of the Guru-Shishya tradition while preparing students for a technology-driven future.

According to the statement, the first phase comprises 368 Sandipani Schools, including 274 under the School Education Department and 94 under the Tribal Affairs Department. The government said it plans to establish 405 more schools in the second phase.

The state government said the schools will feature science laboratories, robotics facilities and smart classrooms while also emphasising yoga, moral education, sports, discipline and Indian culture as part of a holistic curriculum.

The statement said the Sandipani Schools are a rebranding and expansion of the earlier CM Rise Schools initiative, giving it what the government described as a stronger Indian cultural identity.

The CM Rise Schools were introduced in every district of Madhya Pradesh in 2023 by then chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with a concept of providing quality education with smart class rooms and good infrastructure. Similar schools are sponsored by the central government across India under PM Shri school scheme.

The long-term objective of the initiative is to promote character-building alongside academic learning.

The government also claimed that students enrolled in these schools recorded an overall pass rate of around 90 per cent in Class 10 and Class 12 board examinations during the 2025–26 academic session.

The Madhya Pradesh government said the long-term objective of the initiative is to promote character-building alongside academic learning and create a model of education that combines traditional values with modern skills.