RSS chief to attend four-day education summit in Kerala; focus on NEP rollout and Indian knowledge systems | India News

NEW DELHI: A four-day education summit will be held in Kalady, Kerala, from July 25 to 28 to chart a roadmap for implementing the National Education Policy (NEP) and strengthening traditional knowledge systems. Organised by Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, an RSS linked body working to “revive Indian ethos in education,” the Gyan Sabha will bring together around 300 selected educationists from across India, along with senior officials and spiritual organisations.Vice-chancellors of universities, directors of central institutions, AICTE chairperson T G Sitharam, UGC vice-chairperson, and the director of NAAC are expected to attend, alongside government representatives. “Education ministers from Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Puducherry have confirmed their participation. We are not inviting all ministers or vice-chancellors, but a select group of key stakeholders who can contribute meaningfully to this deliberation,” Atul Kothari, national secretary of the Nyas, said in a statement.A parallel programme will focus on Kerala’s education sector, with 1,000 participants, including 200 selected educationists from the state and Governor Rajendra Arlekar, a press statement informed. “Since this is the first time such a large event is being held in Kerala, we wanted local educators and eminent citizens to benefit from it as well. Our goal is to bring together all those working in education—institutions, organisations, and individuals—on a common platform to develop a collective blueprint for reform,” Kothari said.The RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat, will attend the summit and deliver a lecture on July 27 on “Indianness in Education” at a public event. On the final day, July 28, he will address a national brainstorming session titled “Gyan Sabha: Viksit Bharat Hetu Shiksha”. Kothari said Bhagwat’s presence underlines “the Sangh’s growing engagement with educational reform as part of its larger cultural and social agenda.”The Nyas has previously organised initiatives like Gyan Kumbh and Gyan Mahakumbh to promote Indian knowledge traditions, languages, mathematics, skill development, and character building. “As Dr D S Kothari said decades ago, education is the most powerful instrument of national transformation. Our challenge is to combine India’s heritage with contemporary needs,” Kothari added.While supporters view this as a necessary corrective to colonial-era systems, critics have accused the RSS of seeking to saffronise education. The summit comes amid heightened debate over curriculum reforms and the NEP’s rollout across states.