Gyanotsav-2019: Realising Bharatiyata in Education

New Delhi: “Each nation has a different background, different set of values, different scenario and different culture. So, there can’t be one education policy for the entire world. It varies from nation to nation. Thus, a policy of other nation cannot be an Indian education policy if it doesn’t have Bharityata in it. We need our own education policy because our nation has different perspective and needs. The presence of Bhartiyata in education is a must for complete knowledge and growth of a human being,” said RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat while addressing a gathering on the topic ‘Discussion on Indian Education System and Need for Bhartiyata in Education System’. The discussion was organised by Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas as part of Gyanotsav 2019.

Shri Bhagwat said education is not to fill the stomach. “That is very narrow thinking about education. It has huge potential. It is to make a person realise his/her goal in life. Learning is a lifelong process and we have to keep moving ahead. This should be the vision of all the teachers when they go to teach, vision of the students when they go to learn, the vision of parents when they send their wards to study and vision of the principals of the schools. Only then we will be able to inculcate Bhartiyata in education,” he said adding that education should be balanced. The contemporary subjects should be definitely taught, but along with these values and knowledge of Bharatiya values. Only then it will be called balanced education. He hoped that the New Education Policy would cover all these aspects along with Bharatiya spirit in it.

The RSS Sarsanghachalak explained how education frees a person from all shackles and makes one independent and brings out his/her true potential. Only then the person helps others. “Bharityata should be in our education. If we don’t include culture, food and festivals, the education is incomplete. The Indian perspective of education must include diversity and rich culture of the country. Time changes, technology changes, things change but there must be certain things on which we have to remain firm and those are our very basis of being Indian, he added.

The first event of the two-day Gyanotsav-2019 was held at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), which was attended by academicians from all over India involved with education reforms. The second function was held at Pusa Institute. The function at Pusa Institute began with the welcome address by Shri Sanjay Swami. Students of SD Public School, Pitampura, presented a group dance. It was followed by a musical play by students of Navjeewan Model School, Ankur Vihar with the theme of child labour and what the young generation can do if given proper direction through education and values. Prominent among those who graced the occasion included RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat, secretary of Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas Shri Atul Kothari, convener of the Nyas Shri Dina Nath Batra and Vice Chancellor of Patanjali Yogpeeth Archarya Bal Kishan.

The event was marked by the presence of two special guests, Prof. Sita Nath Goswami and Smt Anita Sharma. Both were felicitated with Pt. Madanmohan Malaviya Shiksha Ved Samman for their commendable work in the field of education. At the age of 89, Prof Goswami has an undying spirit to work towards reforming the Indian education system. He has a well-acclaimed name for his efforts in inculcating Bhartiyata in education system. After serving for 34 years he retired from University teaching in 1990. In 2001, he was felicitated with Ved Ratna Samman by Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan. Smt Anita Sharma is Principal of S.D Public School, Pitampura, Delhi. She has inculcated values in curriculum that have set benchmarks in education system. She is a mathematics teacher and dedicated to environment protection. A staunch supporter of Yoga, she is working towards inclusion of specially-abled children in mainstream education and has been trying to create a better place for them through new experiments. The award to both the personalities was presented by Shri Mohan Bhagwat.

In the beginning, Shri Atul Kothari discussed how Shiksha Bachao Andolan was started against distortions in education. He said for the first time education became a topic of discussion. It was felt that by merely removing distortions from the curriculum would not serve the purpose. That is how Shiksha Sanskriti Uthan Nyas was founded. The goal of the Nyas has been to provide a new alternative for our education system. It not only discusses the problems of education but also offers solution to the problems.

He also stressed on current competitive examination structure in the country. This competitive structure was formed by the British Government who wanted no more than officers to suit their requirements and till now we have the same system with very little change in it. The nomenclature has changed to UPSC but no work is done upon its structure till now to suit the Indian Scenario. It is called Sangh Lok Sewa Aayog but he questioned whether this examination system is really creating Lok Sevaks and Samaj Sevaks or just administrators. Has anything done on these lines till now?

From 2014 many deliberations were done in this regards and many students who felt the need to change this examination system joined Shiksha Sanskriti Uthan Nyas to bring about an alternative to this entrance examination

system, he said.