On the verge of Saffronisation?

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has developed a new 'National Curriculum Framework for School Education.' The document is important mainly because the curriculum framework indicates the direction in which the education system of the country is to proceed for implementing the policy. More so, the present curriculum framework, in a certain way, goes to re-orient the thrust of the educational endeavour at the grassroot level - school education. In view of the decisive nature of school education, the school curriculum enjoys an extremely crucial position. The present curriculum framework acquires added significance for it happens to be the first formulation of its kind under the stewardship of the Union Minister for Human Resources Development, Dr.Murali Manohar Joshi, also a leading ideologue of the Hindutva/Sangh Parivar philosophy. Moreover, it has been given shape under the chairmanship of eminent educationist, Prof. J. S. Rajput whose appointment as Director, NCERT evoked mixed reactions. It was then feared that Prof. Rajput was made the head of the premier institution with the express purpose of gearing the education system to translate the Sangh Parivar's ideology into action. Under these circumstances, a discerning person may naturally view the present curriculum in context, and ask whether it has been manipulated as was feared? To put it squarely, if the school curriculum manifests the 'Hindutva' ideology.

Infused with the grace of intellect and beauty of expression, the curriculum framework is not per se that simple, as it appears to be. It is not so easy a task to appreciate its aims and far-reaching implications to a nicety without Taking into account the contextual clues which presumably may help us find its real import.

The present curriculum aims at correcting two well thought-out flaws which are said to have crept into our educational system before and after Independence. It is claimed that India had an 'indigenous advanced system' of education which was based on its 'philosophy' and 'religion.' But, the system suffered a setback under the colonial rule when the education system led to alienation of Indian education from the 'wisdom, the beliefs and the value system' of the people who were 'uprooted from their tradition'. It is further asserted that a sizable segment of the Indian society has, as a consequence, distanced itself from the 'religio-philosophical ethos' and the 'understanding of the past heritage'. In this analysis, it is obviously presumed that even the post-colonial system of education has not taken care of the problems, at least effectively and, therefore, the present curriculum framework focuses on the issue.

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