The dream of India as a “Vishwaguru” (teacher to the world) has been a powerful narrative since 2014. Under the leadership of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, this vision has been pursued through a systematic reshaping of the public psyche—most critically, through education.
While much has been written about the capture of independent institutions, a parallel, quieter assault is underway in our classrooms. By shifting the curriculum, the current political dispensation is attempting to influence its future voters. The playbook is simple: institutionalize ideological biases in formative years, reject modern scientific scepticism, and replace analytical thinking with unquestioning compliance.
The Two Pillars: “WhatsApp University” and Educational Reform
The rise of this ideology perfectly intersected with the explosion of cheap mobile data. Platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook became primary distribution networks for unverified historical claims and hyper-partisan narratives. Ironically, while the nation aspired to become a Vishwaguru, its most influential educational institution became “WhatsApp University.” If you have come across number of individuals, who have quoted a viral forward to prove a fact, you will hopefully concur with this assessment.
The Cost of “Rationalization”
The second, formal pillar required total control of the Ministry of Education and national bodies like the NCERT. Over the past decade, key institutional appointments have faced severe criticism from academics who argue that ideological affinity has been prioritized over academic distinction. These appointments have directly coincided with sweeping curriculum revisions under the guise of “rationalization.”
Consider the specific foundational concepts that have been systematically removed or diluted since the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020:
The Erasure of Evolution: Students who do not opt for Biology in Classes 11 and 12 will now never formally study Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.
The Deletion of the Periodic Table: Students completing compulsory science up to Class 10 are no longer taught the foundational framework of chemistry—including Mendeleev’s Periodic Table, valency, and atomic size.
Rewriting Medieval History: Texts detailing the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire have been heavily excised, reducing complex centuries of cultural assimilation into a singular lens of religious conflict.
Omitting Political Realities: Crucial references to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination by Nathuram Godse, his links to the Hindu Mahasabha, and the subsequent temporary ban on the RSS have been dropped.
Sanitizing Controversies: Coverage of the 2002 Gujarat riots has been severely toned down, while chapters on the 1975–77 Congress-led Emergency have been emphasized.
Diluting Constitutional Values: Essential textbook references defining India as a “Secular” nation have been systematically omitted.
While these cuts were executed, political leaders provided cover. From claims that ancient India mastered plastic surgery to ministers questioning Newton’s gravity or claiming Lord Hanuman was the “first astronaut,” the message to students is clear: ancient scripture supersedes modern science.
The Real-World Consequences
Textbooks shape the worldview of generations. To understand the scale of this impact, look at the data. Roughly 25 million children sit for Class 10 board exams in India every year. About 18 million advance to Class 11, but only 4 to 5 million opt for the Science stream.
This leaves over 13 million students choosing Commerce, Arts, or Humanities. When we map the curriculum changes onto these numbers, the consequences are stark:
The Lack of Scientific Temper: For the 13+ million students who drop science after Class 10, the classroom now offers no alternative to religious creationism. Evolution is not just a biological theory; it teaches the scientific method—observation, hypothesis, evidence, revision, and intellectual humility. Majority of the students will miss out on this key skill and for many of them, they would be descendats of a superior race or creation as the narrative may suit this dispensation. Our Hon PM also considers himself as Non- Biological, so where is the scope for evolution?
Dismantling Analytical Thought: By removing structural tools of analytical reasoning—like the classification systems of the Periodic Table—and discouraging students from questioning established narratives, the system is actively dismantling the capacity for logical, independent thought.
Institutionalized Polarisation: By raising a generation on edited history and sanitized political realities, we are institutionalizing biases that ensure long-term societal division.
The Crisis in Higher Education
When high school graduates eventually enter college, they encounter a higher education ecosystem that has been similarly restructured. Vice-chancellors and senior professors are increasingly appointed based on ideological alignment rather than academic merit. As a result, we are witnessing a two-fold decline:
The Elimination of Dissent: Institutions that were once vibrant centres of debate and intellectual non-conformity have cracked down on student activism. Dissent is penalized, and rigid behavioural and dress codes are being introduced to quietly enforce conformity over diversity.
The Misdirection of Research Funding: Instead of prioritizing cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum computing, or semiconductors, institutional focus and state grants are frequently diverted toward validating traditional panaceas, cow urine (gomutra), and cow-dung sciences.
The Ultimate Cost: A Mechanized, Compliant Generation
The world our children will enter is being transformed by artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, quantum computing, and advanced manufacturing. These industries reward one quality above all others: the ability to think independently.
By hyper-focusing on the virtues of Hindi and regional languages while actively vilifying English as a mere “imperial relic,” the system will cut future generations off from global research, international markets, and cross-border collaboration.
Every week, industries across India speak about the growing gap between qualifications and capability. Degrees have increased. Employability has not kept pace. Tech and manufacturing sectors are far less interested in what a graduate has memorized than in whether they can analyze a problem, challenge assumptions, and arrive at reasoned conclusions. These qualities begin in school.
We want our youngsters to become economic and technological innovators, not just cogs in low-paying service jobs. The current education system is doing a great disservice to our youth by filling the intellectual vacuum exclusively with religious identity, forcing them to view a modern world through a theological lens.
Grassroots Collapse
This crisis is further compounded by a quiet structural collapse at the grassroots level. Across the country, government schools are being closed at an alarming rate. Those that remain, face severe understaffing and inadequate funding.
As public education is systematically hollowed out, quality schooling is becoming a luxury. For millions of lower-income families, even basic, functional education is rapidly becoming entirely unaffordable.
An Appeal to Responsible Citizens
We stand at a critical crossroads. I request all responsible parents, educators, and citizens to look past political slogans and judiciously analyse these structural changes for themselves. What kind of future do we genuinely want for our children?
The nascent youth movement taking shape shows that Gen Z realizes the stakes. The moot question remains: as adults, do we?
True innovation cannot grow in an environment of fear, compliance, and historical erasure. If we want India to rise as a true Vishwaguru, we must defend an education system rooted in logic, scientific inquiry, and global competence. Open dissent, rigorous debate, and the clash of ideas have always been, and must remain, central to the spirit of the real India.
Mera Bharat Mahan.
