RSS seminar calls for 'nationalist narrative' in higher education; 700 academics, including 51 vice-chancellors present

Seven hundred academics, including the vice-chancellors of 51 universities, attended a two-day workshop held by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over the weekend, according to media reports. [caption id=“attachment_3353716” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A file photo of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. PTI[/caption] The seminar, organised by RSS-affiliate Prajna Pravah, focused on how to include a more “nationalist narrative” and Indian perspective in higher education. Many of the participants also met RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, the Financial Express reported. J Nand Kumar, national convener, Prajna Pravah said that various commissions have pointed to the lack of “Indianness” in the country’s educational system. Kumar also stated that the Supreme Court has also called for incorporating Indian views into education. “The exercise is not an alternative to the present educational system which is aping the West, but it’s a real nationalist narrative to imbibe Bharatiya perspectives in it,” Kumar said. DNA reported that the seminar, entitled ‘Gyan Sangham’, was organised at the Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology and Management. Delhi University (DU) vice-chancellor Yogesh Tyagi was also present. “We need to first tap academicians in order to reach out to students with Indianised form of educational content,” Kumar told the gathering. He also decried the “culture of protests” and the practice of “cultural evenings” in educational institutions, stating it was not a part of India’s “real culture”, DNA reported. “What’s going on here (educational institutes) in the name of culture is actually an onslaught on our real culture – be it cultural evenings or the culture of protests. It badly affects young minds and poisons the environment of our educational institutes.” He added, “We have to develop a social and an intellectual point of view that will be able to solve the problems of our current generation. We have to free our youth from the colonial values.”