In a recent judgment, the Madras High Court has held that teaching or promoting the Bhagavad Gita, Vedanta, and Yoga does not qualify as "religious activity" under India's Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA). The ruling quashes grounds used by authorities to deny or cancel foreign funding registration for organizations engaged in these teachings, classifying them instead as educational, cultural, and civilizational activities.

The decision, delivered by Justice G.R. Swaminathan, came in response to challenges against orders from the Ministry of Home Affairs that had rejected or restricted FCRA registration for certain trusts and NGOs. The court emphasized that these Indian knowledge systems should not be narrowly viewed through a religious lens for regulatory purposes. The judgment drew clear distinctions between religious propagation and philosophical/educational pursuits. 

The court described the Gita not as a sectarian religious scripture but primarily as a profound work of moral philosophy and ethical guidance. It imparts lessons on duty (dharma), self-discipline, self-realization, and ethical action without mandating worship or ritual.Teaching the Gita was therefore deemed equivalent to education in moral science, not religious preaching. Similarly Vedanta was characterized as a philosophical system focused on consciousness, the nature of reality, and self-knowledge. 

The bench likened it to Western philosophical traditions rather than organized religious ritual or devotional practices.Yoga was recognized as a civilizational and scientific discipline centered on physical health, mental discipline, and psychological well-being. The court rejected the notion that it constitutes religious instruction, viewing it as a universal practice for holistic development. Under the FCRA, foreign contributions are prohibited for propagating religion but permitted for purposes such as education, research, culture, and social welfare. 

The Madras High Court ruled that activities involving the teaching of the Bhagavad Gita, Vedanta, or Yoga fall squarely under permissible categories of education and cultural promotion. As a result, NGOs and trusts engaged in these areas are entitled to receive and utilize foreign funding without facing denial or cancellation of registration on the basis that such teachings are "religious." 

This perspective aligns with constitutional principles protecting cultural and educational freedoms while preventing undue regulatory interference in India's civilizational legacy. In essence, the Madras High Court has affirmed that the Bhagavad Gita, Vedanta, and Yoga represent timeless systems of knowledge and wisdom—rooted in Bharatiya civilization—rather than tools of religious propagation, thereby safeguarding their promotion under India's foreign funding laws.