To give shape to new education policy, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar meets RSS leaders

New Delhi: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar, who was recently given the Human Resource Development portfolio, is reported to have held closed-door talks with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on the new national education policy.

The Indian Express reported on Thursday that Javadekar met senior RSS functionaries and representatives of other affiliated organisations yesterday to discuss the new national education policy.

It was his first formal contact with the RSS since taking over as the HRD Minister from Smriti Irani earlier this month.

BJP president Amit Shah, RSS joint general secretary Krishna Gopal and RSS Akhil Bharatiya Sampark Pramukh Aniruddha Deshpande were present at the meeting.

Other outfits whose representatives were present at the meeting included Vidya Bharati, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh, Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, Sanskrit Bharati, Shiksha Bachao Andolan, Vigyan Bharati and Itihas Sankalan.

 

The meeting, held at the Gujarat Bhawan, went on for nearly six hours, the newspaper said.

During the meeting, RSS leaders are reported to have provided inputs on the new education policy and suggested measures to “instil nationalism, pride and ancient Indian values in modern education”.

The report quoted an RSS functionary as saying that the meeting was part of the government-organisational interface that was established after the Modi government came to power in May 2014.

The meeting follows the HRD Ministry's move to seek feedback on the draft education policy that was made public earlier this month, when Smriti Irani was at the helm.

According to the report, the Sangh was unhappy with the draft education policy as inputs provided by its affiliate organisations had been excluded.