Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Wednesday shared with top Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leaders the details of the government’s plan for expeditious implementation of the New Education Policy (NEP), its plan to implement it, and carry out changes in the textbooks as well as the format of board exams because of the curbs imposed on physical attendance in schools due to the ongoing Covid pandemic. Pradhan’s presentation marked the highlight of the two-day deliberations.
The NEP’s thrust on imparting education in regional languages fulfills an old demand of the RSS which has long held that instruction in mother tongues helps students, especially from underprivileged backgrounds. The RSS has also been asking for changes in textbooks, especially on Indian history, which, according to them, are a compendium of victories of invaders and ignore the resistance put up by locals and the varied richness of the country’s ancient heritage.
Sources said the two-day deliberations, which started on Tuesday, had more focus on NEP from the students’ perspective. Pradhan is learned has briefed the ‘Siksha Varg’ (education wing) representatives of the RSS, including those from the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, who raised the issue of how the government is planning to hold the board exams since students are studying online and campuses aren’t fully functional.
RSS general secretaries Krishna Gopal and Arun Kumar were also present in the meeting, which holds significance as the saffron fountainhead has been showing keen interest in the education and culture sectors and has also suggested several changes on its ideological theme of nationalism from time to time.
Representatives from RSS education wings — Vidya Bharti, Bharatiya Shiksha Sanskriti Uthan Nyas, and Bharatiya Shiksha Mandal — were also present in the meeting.
Various RSS-inclined academicians were present in the meeting. “It was an RSS Siksha Samuh meeting for two days in which representatives related to the education wing of Sangh were present,” said RSS national media head Sunil Ambekar and further added that the meeting happens every year. Other Union ministers including Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Jitendra Singh were also present in the meeting, sources said, adding that discussion on skill development and UPSC exams were also held. BJP was represented by its coordinator V Satish, general secretary CT Ravi and joint general secretary (organization) Shivprakash.
Courtesy The Times of India
