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New Ohio law allows Hindu students 3 religious holiday per year
Indian-American State Senator Niraj Antani announced that Ohio has become the first state to recognize Diwali as a school holiday.
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Niraj Antani / Instagram/ @nirajantani
Indian-American State Senator Niraj Antani (R-Miamisburg) on Dec.26 announced a new law recognizing Diwali as a school holiday in Ohio. With the passage of House Bill 214 (HB214), co-sponsored by Antani, Ohio becomes the first state in the US to guarantee Hindu students time off from school for Diwali, along with two additional Hindu holidays each academic year.
Antani, the first Hindu American State Senator in Ohio and the youngest Hindu American elected official at the state or federal level nationwide, said, the passing of the law was “an incredible victory for Hindus in Ohio”.
“Every Hindu student in Ohio will be able to take school off as a holiday for Diwali beginning in 2025 and then for the rest of history,” he said, adding, “As well, our law surpasses any other school district in the nation so far as it also allows 2 other religious holidays to be taken. That means a Gujarati Hindu student can take a day off for Navaratri or Annakut, a BAPS devotee can take off for Pramukh Swami Maharaj Jayanti, a Swaminarayan devotee can take off for Hari Jayanti, a Telegu Hindu student can take Ugadi off, a Tamil Hindu student can take Pongal off, a Bengali Hindu student can take Durga Puja off, a Punjabi Hindu student can take Lohri off, an ISCKON devotee can take Krishna Janmashtami off, and more.”
The bill does require a parent to send the principal of the school a signed letter informing them of the religious holidays the student will be taking off.
Signed into law by the Governor and set to take effect in the 2025 school year, the legislation mandates that all K-12 schools in Ohio allow students to observe three religious holidays annually without academic penalty.
Students taking religious expression days off will not be marked absent and can still participate in sports and extracurricular activities. Schools must provide reasonable alternatives for missed exams or assignments and ensure no academic penalties for observing these holidays.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce has designated October 20 and October 21, 2025, as Diwali.
“Ohio setting example for country”
Indian Americans have cheered the law and expressed gratitude towards Antani for co-sponsoring the bill.
Samir Kalra, Managing Director of the Hindu American Foundation, said, "Ohio is setting an example for the rest of the country on how schools can ensure all students can practice their faiths fully without the fear of negative academic consequences. The Hindu American Foundation applauds Senator Antani and the interfaith community of Ohio for their leadership on this important initiative."
Breaking | An Act signed into law in Ohio now gives all Hindu students in the state a day off for Diwali and an additional two religious days! The bill was cosponsored by senator @NirajAntani, the 1st Hindu American state senator elected in Ohio.
— Hindu American Foundation (@HinduAmerican) December 26, 2024
The bill that Sen. Antani… pic.twitter.com/zOxAvfmgVF
Dr. Rakesh Ranjan, director, Cleveland Chapter, Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), said: “As a Hindu parent of students who recently graduated in Cleveland, this would have been astounding to have during Diwali. It would have allowed my children to observe Diwali fully and without worrying about their studies. I am so glad that now, no other Hindu student or parent in Ohio will have this worry.”
Utsav Chakrabarti, executive director, HinduACTion, mentioned: “This landmark effort empowers nearly 120,000 Hindus across the state to celebrate their cherished traditions with their families, fostering inclusion and cultural understanding. More importantly, it furthers Ohio’s commitment to upholding family values. This will serve as a template for many other states with significant Hindu populations, to emulate.”
Dr. Jai Bansal, vice president for Education for the Vishva Hindu Parishad of America (VHPA), shared: “Hindu students in Ohio will now be able to better observe their Hinduism without fear of getting behind academically. This is tremendous for Hindu families across Ohio.”
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