Education has been a focus of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for some time now. They have been advocating for the “Indianisation” and “de-Macaulayisation” of education. This began in the first term of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, where they attempted to remove content from NCERT textbooks that they felt had a Left or Congress-leaning bias. The current NDA government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has taken more concrete steps to change the education system. The National Education Policy (NEP) provides a framework for both Hindutvaisation and aggressive privatisation of education. This means that not only does history need to be corrected, but the entire approach towards education needs to be changed.
The idea of “Indianisation” is mainly used as a cover for the larger agenda of corporatisation of education. By criticizing the “colonial mindset” of the opposition and portraying certain communities as the descendants of “invader rulers”, the BJP aims to promote their allegedly more rooted and “Indianised” education model. This can be seen in their efforts to include the Bhagavad Gita in moral science textbooks in Gujarat and their plans to do the same in Karnataka.
However, if their approach was truly “Indian” in character, it would acknowledge the contributions of all immigrants to the Indian subcontinent over the centuries, including their cultural, political, architectural, and culinary contributions. The rhetoric of “foreign rule” serves the larger goal of the BJP, even though their actions often exclude certain communities and promote a skewed version of “Indianisation”.
Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu defended the “saffronisation” of education, stating that it aims to “go back to our roots” and understand the greatness of Indian culture and heritage. He criticized the “colonial mindset” of English-loving people who interpret Indianisation as going backward. While there is some truth to his assessment that centuries of foreign rule have impacted India’s education system, he fails to address the role of caste in determining access to education.
The BJP’s narrative presents them as the sole custodians of Indian culture and values, even though their actions often contradict this. For example, the University Grants Commission (UGC) crafted a history syllabus that removed works by Marxist historians and secular literature. Similarly, the Central Board of Secondary Education made changes to the history and political science syllabi for classes 11 and 12, removing chapters on important topics and excerpts of poems.
The underlying philosophy of the NEP 2020 is also concerning. While it claims to prepare students for the future by creating a skilled workforce, it only focuses on the narrow idea of machines taking over unskilled work. It fails to address the broader implications of technological advancements and the need for multidisciplinary education. The NEP suggests that India’s education system should draw inspiration from ancient Indian knowledge and values, but it overlooks the need for adaptation and innovation in the face of global challenges.
Overall, the BJP’s approach to education reflects their larger agenda of Hinduisation and corporatisation. It is important to critically examine their rhetoric and actions to ensure a more inclusive and holistic approach to education.