The Supreme Court on Tuesday said yoga cannot be imposed on anyone.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B. Lokur said it can't decide what is to be taught in schools and that the government can take a decision on the issue.

The court dismissed pleas seeking direction to make yoga compulsory in schools for students from classes 1 to 8.

"We are nobody to say what is to be taught in schools. It is none of our business. How can we direct that, What is to be taught in schools is not a fundamental right," a bench headed by Justice MB Lokur said as per a report by Dev Goswami in India Today.  

The court order came on two PILs filed by Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, a lawyer, and Delhi BJP spokesperson and advocate J.C. Seth seeking introduction of yoga in schools and making yoga classes mandatory for school students across the country.

Upadhyay sought direction to the Human Resource Development Ministry, the National Council of Educational Research and Training, the National Council for Teacher Education and the Central Board of Secondary Education to "provide standard textbooks on yoga and health education for students of Class 1 to 8".

The plea had said, "State has an obligation to provide health facilities to all the citizens, especially to children and adolescents. In a welfare state, it is obligation of the State to ensure the creation and sustenance of conditions congenial to good health."

The petition further stated that without providing ‘yoga and health education’ to all children or framing a ‘national yoga policy’ to promote it, the right to health could not be secured, the India Today report adds.

On November 29 last year, the apex court had asked the Centre to treat the petition as a representation and take a decision.

(With IANS inputs)