Though the summit is being presented as apolitical, its rhetoric, and lineup have led many to see it as a vehicle for soft-landing Hindutva-aligned curriculum.
Published Jul 28, 2025 | 11:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 28, 2025 | 3:29 PM
The education summit in Kochi, backed by RSS-linked organisations, is not just an academic gathering.
Synopsis: Organised by an RSS affiliate and attended by the organisation’s chief Mohan Bhagwat, vice-chancellors from Kerala, and education ministers from BJP-ruled states, a four-day education conclave in Kochi has become the latest flashpoint in the opposition to the National Education Policy in Kerala. The participation of Governor Rajendra Arlekar and state university vice-chancellors has triggered backlash, with the CPI(M) and SFI warning that such involvement threatens academic autonomy and the secular fabric of higher education.
At first glance, the National Education Summit – a four-day education conclave currently underway in Kalady, near Kochi in Kerala – appears like any other, except for its guest list.
It features vice chancellors from nearly 200 universities, directors of various educational institutions, and education ministers from Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Puducherry – all BJP-ruled states and a Union Territory. However, the most significant guest of them all is Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat.
Organised by the Shiksha Samskriti Utthan Nyas, an affiliate of the RSS, the education conclave has become an ideological flashpoint in a state that has long been one of the fiercest critics of the RSS and its political arm, the BJP, especially over education policies such as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Though framed by organisers as a platform for inclusive national dialogue, the event has made no attempt to disguise its ideological leanings. Bhagwat, who led a major public gathering on Saturday, 27 July under the banner of Jnansabha, called for a fundamental shift in India’s education system, one grounded in the “Bharatiya worldview.”
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat at Kalady
“Our education system was once moulded under colonial influence. It is time we actively develop a framework that resonates with our own heritage and values,” he said.
Kerala Governor Rajendra Arlekar, widely seen as an old RSS hand, is also attending the event. Since he arrived in the state earlier this year, Arlekar has already engaged in several ideological clashes with the ruling CPI(M).
Also present at the function were four vice chancellors from the state – from Kerala University, Kannur University, Calicut University, and Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) – all nominated by the Governor.
Unsurprisingly, the event and the participation of these officials have triggered sharp political reactions, given the CPI(M) government’s firm opposition to the NEP and its concerns over ideological interference in higher education.
The summit’s stated aim is to “strengthen India’s education system” and curb the growing trend of students seeking higher education abroad.
In a press release, organisers emphasised the need to bridge gaps in quality and accessibility within Indian education, highlighting the importance of increased public funding.
“A key focus is on boosting public investment in the sector, with organisers stressing the importance of allocating at least six percent of the national GDP to education. Discussions also include the role of private participation in policy implementation,” the press release said.
“Delegates include education ministers from BJP-governed states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Puducherry, as well as senior representatives from the University Grants Commission (UGC), AICTE, and directors of national-level institutions.”
Dr Atul Kothari, Secretary of the SSUN, echoed Bhagwat’s call for reform.
RSS chief inaugurating the Chintan Baithak at Kalady.
“We’ve engaged teachers, students, and institutions in this mission. Now it’s time to involve parents too. Building a Bharatiya path to education is not a policy change alone, it’s a social movement,” Kothari said.
He also stressed the importance of promoting education in the mother tongue. “English-medium obsession can’t be reversed by policy alone. Mass awareness is key.”
Kothari added that the NEP 2020 has addressed many of these concerns. His colleague, Dr Rajeshwar Kumar, co-convener of the Nyas, said the organisation plans to expand its activities across India under the slogan “One Nation, One Name, Bharat,” aiming to embed Indian values more deeply into the education system.
Though the summit is being presented as apolitical, its rhetoric and lineup have led many to see it as a vehicle for soft-landing Hindutva-aligned curriculum.
The timing, too, has raised eyebrows. The summit comes shortly after the Centre admitted that it withheld education funds from Kerala and Tamil Nadu for not implementing the NEP.
It also follows Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s remark that those who speak English in India would “soon feel ashamed” – largely seen in the South as a direct provocation, given southern states’ longstanding resistance to Hindi imposition.
Kerala’s General Education Minister V Sivankutty was quick to condemn the summit, calling it a veiled ideological project aimed at saffronising the education sector under the banner of NEP 2020.
Sivankutty warned that Kerala is closely watching such moves and will not stay silent if education is dragged into ideological battles. He stressed that education must remain secular, inclusive, and shielded from political interference.
Raising concerns about the participation of vice chancellors from state universities, the minister warned that such involvement threatens the autonomy and neutrality of academic institutions.
Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty. (Facebook)
“Universities are meant for academic growth and research, not for pushing political narratives,” Sivankutty said, warning that allowing ideological influence in higher education could have far-reaching and damaging consequences.
Meanwhile, contradicting the claims made at the conclave, SFI national leader Adarsh M Saji pointed to Kerala’s academic record – with several universities and colleges ranked among India’s best – as a result of consistent public investment and secular governance.
“This is a battle for the soul of education. Students, democracy, and secularism will prevail,” he told South First.
Adarsh also criticised the Congress-led UDF for “siding with the BJP-RSS agenda,” weakening what he described as a necessary united front to defend secular education. He linked this to similar developments nationwide, including the absence of permanent leadership in the UGC and several central universities.
Meanwhile, the Kerala Students Union (KSU) – the students’ wing of Congress in Kerala – also strongly criticised the participation of university vice chancellors in the event. KSU State President Aloshious Xavier alleged that the VCs were being reduced to mouthpieces of the RSS. He remarked that the vice chancellors should remember their paycheques do not come from Nagpur (referring to the RSS’s headquarters).
He also accused Higher Education Minister R Bindu of indirectly allowing the VCs to attend the event. Aloshious further claimed that the RSS is attempting to dismantle Kerala’s secular academic atmosphere, and that the VCs are being used as instruments in that effort.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
