By: RSSFACTS Web Desk

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS) has passed several resolutions in the past on the issue of  Indian education system. These resolutions were passed by the highest decision-making body of the RSS. This body is known as Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS). To know more about the ABPS, you may visit the FAQs section of this website.

Here are some excerpts from the RSS’ resolutions on various aspects of education in India:

ABPS Resolution in 2016: Accessible, affordable and quality education for all

In the contemporary education scenario, the governments must come forward towards its responsibility of allocating adequate resources and formulating appropriate policies. The government should strengthen the autonomous self-regulatory mechanism for the education institutions in terms of their quality, infrastructure, services conditions, fees and standards so that its policies and are implemented in a transparent manner. Every child should get value based, nationalistic, employment-oriented and skill-based education in an atmosphere of equal opportunity. It is utmost essential to ensure proper training, appropriate salaries and strengthen the dutifulness of the teachers to enhance their standard; both in state run and private schools. In today’s context also, all the social, religious organizations, corporates, educationists and eminent people should come forward in this direction owning their responsibility.

It also appeals to the society to come forward in this noble cause of imparting education especially in the rural, tribal and undeveloped areas so that a worthy, able and knowledge driven society is created which will play its important role in the development and upliftment of the nation.

ABPS Resolution in 2008: Evolve a System of Education in Tune with National Ethos

  The education system of a country should fulfil the aim of all round development of the personality of the individual, inculcate a feeling of national pride and social responsibility and contribute to the needs of national development. ABPS opines that the present degeneration in the field of education is the natural consequence of the directionless policies pursued all these years. The objectives of inculcating moral and spiritual values and character building, which is the heart of education, have suffered total neglect.

Instead of creating a sense of pride and respect for the cultural heritage and national heroes, a curriculum was adopted which heaps insults and invectives on them. Whereas character building and imparting self-control through disciplining of body and mind should be the main objective of education, the Central Government is initiating steps to introduce sex education for innocent boys and girls on the ground that it is essential to fight the AIDS menace. it is regrettable that the Central Government is adamant on continuing with it.

While there has never been any restriction on the free flow of knowledge in our country, the entry of “Foreign Educational Service Providers” in a big way with purely commercial motives is a matter of concern and their entry will not in any way affect our national interests.

Taking advantage of the current trend of privatization within the country, effort is on to convert education into a profitable business. The rising cost of education portends the danger of widening the gap of social inequality by making education unaffordable for students from the economically weaker sections of the society. The high rate of dropouts at the primary level is another matter of concern. Since most of these children belong to the socially backward classes, the objective of creating an inclusive and harmonious society remains a distant dream.

The ABPS also expresses concern over the growing influence of hollow minorityism in the field of education. Through measures like 50% reservation to Muslim Students in Aligarh Muslim University, setting up of Minority Education Commission, granting of special concessions to minority institutions, special provision for free coaching for the Muslim students appearing for UPSC examinations, Pre-metric scholarship for Muslim students provided in the 2008-2009 budget, the Government is promoting communal divide in the education field.

The primary requirement of the education system of an independent and self respecting nation is that education be imparted through the national languages. But in our country even after 60 years of independence, not only the domination of English continues but its hold is tightening.

It is the considered opinion of the ABPS that-

(1) The purpose of education is not merely to enable the student to earn livelihood but also to impart values of patriotism, spirit of service and social responsibility.

(2) Effective measures should be taken to check school dropouts.

(3) Medium of education must be Bharatiya languages. Excellent knowledge of Hindi as National Link Language should also be given. Working knowledge of any one foreign language (English, French, German, Russian, Japanese, Chinese etc.) be given.

(4) Excessive importance given to English in all spheres of governmental activity must be ended.

(5) What is needed for the children is character building education, and not sex education.

(6) Government needs to take effective steps to curb commercialization of education.

(7) Minorityism in education shall be discarded.

(8) Due importance and priority must be given to national languages and especially to Sanskrit which is the repository of a vast treasure of knowledge.

In view of the crucial importance of education for national development, it is necessary to keep it free from the influence of changing political situations as well as bureaucratic control. Hence ABPS urges that an independent and autonomous Education Commission be created which will look at education in a comprehensive manner and monitor the implementation of educational policies.

The ABPS Calls upon the educationists, teachers, policy makers, all the State Governments and the Central Government to initiate a serious debate on this subject and evolve a system of education which will produce a new generation full of confidence and spirit of national pride, who will achieve spectacular success in every field and carry the nation to the pinnacle of all round development.

ABPS Resolution in 1989: Neglect of Sanskrit by the Central Government

 The ABPS views with serious concern and is strongly opposed to the exclusion of the study of Sanskrit from the Secondary-School Curriculum as embodied in the New Educational Policy of the Central Government. This policy rules out the study of Sanskrit even as an optional subject. The inevitable result of this policy will be that there will be few students to study Sanskrit at the University level

Sanskrit language is our most cherished cultural heritage, its literature is a veritable treasure house of knowledge – both spiritual end secular and forms the fountainhead of our national unity. Sanskrit is not only the mother of all Bharatiya languages but also of many others in the world. The modern linguists have found it to be the most scientific language and accepted it as the best suited one for Computer Science. In the considered opinion of ABPS, depriving the young generation of the opportunity to study Sanskrit will only amount to denying them the timeless wisdom of our ancient lore and tradition. This is bound to jeopardise our national ethos. The Pratinidhi Sabha calls upon the Government to effect forthwith changes in its educational policy and make Sanskrit a compulsory subject throughout the country at the Secondary level. The Sabha urges our enlightened countrymen to strive for the creation of effective public opinion to compel the Government to.

ABPS Resolution in 1982:  Rewriting National History

  The suggestion by NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training ) that the present division of our history into Hindu, Muslim and British periods be given up may be accepted, for, the stream of national life of Bharat has been an unbroken flow since ancient times. However, the other directions of NCERT such as not to term the aggressors, who had chosen to settle down here, as foreigners (even though they had not identified themselves with our national life here) and to discontinue glorifying any past period as golden age, will only defeat the very purpose of teaching history.

History of a nation is not just a catalogue of the rise and fall of its ruling dynasties and wars; it embodies the inspiring saga of the people’s ideals and aspirations, of their peerless valour and mighty achievements and the endless penance and martyrdom of their saints and heroes. It also carries the lessons and warnings of their past generations, their blunders and perversions, their defeats and lapses. It is also obvious, clearer the mirror of history brighter and truer will be the nation’s image reflected therein. Righteous pride in all that is good and great in the past coupled with a genuine penitence for the past faults and failures can alone spur us on to strive for a glorious future and save us from the previous pitfalls.

The A.B.P.S. strongly condemns the present attempt at abusing history for pampering certain sections; as such misplaced appeasement will only further sharpen their separatist tendencies. We are even now witness to the disastrous trends and thought-currents set in motion by wilful perversions introduced in our historical records by the Britishers.

(Note: NCERT is an autonomous body that is part of the Government of India. It works for improving the school education system in the country. The curriculum and textbooks prepared by the NCERT are used by large number of schools in India.)