First-year students of graduation courses in Madhya Pradesh colleges and universities will be offered epic 'Ramcharitmanas' as an elective subject under philosophy discipline in art stream, Higher Education Minister Mohan Yadav said on Monday.

On recommendation of the syllabus committee, the "applied philosophy of Shri Ramcharitmanas" has been introduced as an elective (optional) course under the philosophy subject for first-year students of graduation (BA) from the academic session of 2021-22, he said.