Topic: Education

The Hindutva movement has long viewed education as a critical tool for ideological expansion. From its inception, the Sangh Parivar has invested heavily in educational institutions aimed at aligning India’s intellectual framework with its narrow nationalist vision.

The Kerala government on Thursday, October 23, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Union government for the Prime Minister’s Schools for Rising India (PM SHRI) scheme, despite strong opposition from the Communist Party of India (CPI), a key ally in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), and student organisations.

The Kerala government’s decision to join the PM SHRI (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India) scheme, reversing its long-held opposition to Narendra Modi government's education agenda, sparked sharp political reactions, with the Congress accusing the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) of a “secret alliance” with the BJP.

The Parliamentary Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has flagged “irregularities and under-representation” of SCs and STs in Delhi University’s teaching staff from 2020-21 to 2024-25, noting that SC student representation remained below the mandated 15% quota in all but 2024-25, when it barely crossed the mark, and describing ST student representation as “dismal.”

A controversy erupted in Kerala after several university vice-chancellors participated in the “Jnana Sabha,” an event attended by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, drawing sharp criticism from ministers, student groups, and political leaders, who condemned it as a move to “saffronise” the education sector.

Rahul Gandhi on Friday slammed what he called “solid evidence of the deprivation of Dalits, Bahujans and institutionalised Manuwad,” after government data revealed a significant backlog in filling reserved category posts in higher education, and demanded that all vacant positions be filled immediately.