KOCHI: India’s current education system continues to bear the imprint of colonial influence and must be reoriented through alternatives rooted in Bharatiya knowledge traditions, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat said here on Saturday.
Addressing a gathering of RSS volunteers (karyakartas) at the ongoing Rashtriya Shiksha Chintan Baithak at Adi Shankara Nilayam, Veliyanad, near Piravom, Bhagwat underlined the need for a deep, realistic understanding of education from the Indian perspective.
“Our background is shaped by colonial systems. We must develop our own competence, lead by example, and forge bonds of mutual understanding to bring others along,” he said.
Stressing the importance of regular training and internal coordination, he noted that the growth of any organisation is dependent on patience, cooperation and a spirit of belonging.
“Coordination — from the self to the world — is key to all of this,” he added.
Organised by Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, the event brings together key educational leaders to brainstorm on long-term reforms. The Nyas has been active in this space since 2004, seeking to offer a culturally rooted alternative to the prevailing education model. Dr Atul Kothari, national secretary of the Nyas, said that the objective is to build a connected ecosystem — teachers, students, institutions, and now, parents.
He reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to promoting education in the mother tongue, and the need to change public perception around English-medium superiority.
“The National Education Policy 2020 supports this shift. But policy alone won’t help — there must be continuous work on public awareness and mindset,” he said.
The Nyas aims to popularise the idea of “One Nation, One Name: Bharat” by passing resolutions across institutions.