4 min readPatnaJul 20, 2026 05:20 AM IST
The Bihar government’s decision to paint all 551 Model Schools in the state saffron is facing questions not just from the Opposition, but also from the BJP’s primary ruling alliance partner, the JD(U).
The Model Schools, renamed Saraswati Vidya Niketan (classes 9 to 12), were formally launched by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Sunday at an event in Begusarai. The CM posted on X: “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 said these schools were equipped with modern digital infrastructure, e-libraries, and smart classrooms. They will also provide free JEE and NEET coaching alongside live interactive classes.
However, the decision to paint all these schools saffron, replacing the existing pink, sky blue, or yellow, has drawn criticism.
The Bihar education department, in an order issued to these schools, directed them to adopt the saffron palette immediately.
The Model Schools, renamed Saraswati Vidya Niketan (classes 9 to 12), were formally launched by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Sunday at an event in Begusarai. (Express Photo)
Expressing concern, JD(U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar said, “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. Our other concern is that the names of the land donors for several schools are being placed below the ‘Saraswati Vidya Niketan’ signage. Ideally, the donors’ names should precede the new name.”
The JD(U) is part of the BJP-led NDA government in Bihar.
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A headmaster of a Model School, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said school authorities were asked to paint the buildings saffron at the earliest.
“Earlier, there were no specific directives on colour. It used to be yellow, pink, or even sky blue from time to time. Of late, the schools have mostly been painted pink. However, those choices were left to the headmaster’s discretion. The new education department letter specifies that there must be uniformity across all model schools. While the exterior walls must be saffron, the interior classroom walls have to be white, and the main gate must be painted golden,” the headmaster said.
Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary during the inauguration of a new Government Degree College in Bhagalpur. (ANI/File)
Opposition slams govt
Opposition parties have criticised the move, calling it the “beginning of the saffronisation of education”.
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RJD national spokesperson Subodh Kumar Mehta told The Indian Express: “We saw it coming. It is nothing but the beginning of the saffronisation of education. This is the RSS model of education. The day the BJP-led NDA government decided to rename Model Schools as Saraswati Vidya Niketan, we could sniff the RSS agenda.”
Bihar Congress spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari said: “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.”
‘Energy and positivity’
Defending the move, BJP state vice president Santosh Pathak said the choice of colour represents “energy and positivity”.
“The Opposition is unnecessarily politicising a progressive infrastructure upgrade that will benefit thousands of students,” he said.
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Earlier, Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari had said that the Opposition was choosing to “see everything through an RSS prism instead of looking at the large-scale educational reforms being implemented”.