Bihar’s Saffron School Row Explained: JD(U) Questions The Colour Scheme, BJP Defends Move

The Bihar government's decision to rename its Model Schools as Saraswati Vidya Niketan and introduce a uniform saffron colour scheme for the school buildings has triggered a political row, drawing criticism from both the Opposition and an ally within the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has defended the move as part of an infrastructure initiative.

The renamed schools, catering to students from Classes IX to XII, were formally inaugurated by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary at an event in Begusarai on Sunday.

In a post on X following the launch, Choudhary wrote, "From Begusarai, the sacred land of Rashtrakavi Ramdhari Singh 'Dinkar' Ji, I inaugurated 551 Saraswati Vidya Niketan (Model Schools), marking the beginning of a new era in education in Bihar."

"With the resolve that 'Bihar will progress only when Bihar learns', modern educational facilities such as the FILO App, Bihar School Live Classes and smart classes will be further strengthened."

What Has Changed?

According to the Indian Express, the Bihar education department has directed that all renamed Saraswati Vidya Niketan schools follow a uniform architectural and colour scheme.

A headmaster of a Model School, speaking to the newspaper on condition of anonymity, said school authorities had been instructed to repaint the buildings at the earliest.

Previously, there were no prescribed colour guidelines for the schools, with buildings painted in shades such as yellow, pink and sky blue. Under the new directive, all schools are to have saffron-painted exterior walls, white classroom interiors and a golden-painted main gate.

The headmaster said that earlier colour choices had largely been left to the discretion of individual school heads, but the latest order seeks to bring uniformity across all Model Schools.

Why Has The Move Drawn Criticism?

The decision has drawn objections not only from the Opposition but also from the Janata Dal (United), the BJP's ally in Bihar.

JD(U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said education "has no colour" and should remain guided by the spirit of the Preamble to the Constitution rather than any specific colour scheme for school buildings.

He also objected to the placement of the names of land donors on school signboards, saying that in several schools the donors' names appeared below the Saraswati Vidya Niketan signage, whereas they should ideally precede the new name.

On the controversy, Kumar told ANI on Monday, "Our party’s fundamental principle, rooted in the Preamble to the Constitution, is that the right to education must be accessible to people of all religions and communities. Simply changing the colour scheme does not guarantee that right. What truly matters is ensuring that children receive quality education. Furthermore, there are those ancestors who donated their land; if the names of such donors end up relegated to the bottom of a plaque, it certainly affects the honour of those ancestors. It is the government's responsibility to ensure that the sentiments of our forebears are not hurt in this process."

What Is The Opposition Saying?

Opposition parties have described the development as the beginning of the "saffronisation of education".

Rashtriya Janata Dal national (RJD) spokesperson Subodh Kumar Mehta told The Indian Express that the renaming of the Model Schools and the new colour scheme reflected what he described as the RSS model of education.

Bihar Congress spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari alleged that assigning a fixed colour to education was detrimental to democracy and said the development signalled Bihar's transition into a "post-Nitish Kumar era".

Govt's Reaction

BJP has rejected the criticism over the colour scheme, maintaining that the decision is part of an effort to improve school infrastructure rather than a political exercise.

BJP state vice-president Santosh Pathak said the saffron colour represented "energy and positivity". He accused the Opposition of unnecessarily politicising what he described as a progressive initiative aimed at benefiting thousands of students.

Minister Sanjay Kumar Singh, speaking to IANS on Monday, also dismissed the controversy over the colour choice. "Look, you are calling this a saffron colour, but it is not a saffron colour. This has been the colour of the school earlier as well. In my opinion, just because someone calls it a saffron colour, it does not become one. It is simply a colour, and a colour does not become saffron just because someone says so," he said.

Earlier, Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari had defended the government's decision, alleging that the Opposition was viewing every government initiative through an "RSS prism" instead of focusing on the educational reforms being introduced.

NDA government in Bihar carried out a major cabinet reshuffle and expansion in May 2026, marking the first significant restructuring of the council of ministers since Samrat Choudhary took over as chief minister from Nitish Kumar. A total of 32 ministers were sworn in at a ceremony held at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, in a key organisational exercise by the ruling alliance.