Hailing the New Education Policy 2020
A Note on the New Education Policy 2020
Swami Vivekananda repeatedly said that the right type of education is the panacea for all the ills plaguing our country. What was his idea of the right type of education? That which develops an integrated personality, harmonious blend of head, heart and hand, founded on the bedrock of impeccable moral and ethical character energy, with the vital components of: keen and powerful intellect; large and compassionate heart; invincible and courageous will to translate vision into action.
Swami Vivekananda wanted our education to be rooted in India’s glorious spiritual and cultural heritage, harmoniously blended at the same time with the Western scientific knowledge. He envisioned a synthesis of the best elements of the East and the West—Indian spiritual wisdom and the Western scientific knowledge. Our Deemed University in the hallowed name of Swami Vivekananda is a humble attempt by Ramakrishna Mission to actualize Swami Vivekananda’s educational vision.
Lord Macaulay’s educational policy of 1835 for India was crafted on purpose for the colonial dominance by the British and it has unfortunately been dominating us for nearly 175 years, even long after our country became free 73 years ago. We have taken a momentous step now, through the New Education Policy 2020, approved and announced recently by the Government of India, in rediscovering our own immortal roots of the ancient Tree of Knowledge (jnana-vriksha) with branches spreading out to scatter broadcast globally the fragrant flowers and delicious fruits of holistic education, wherein knowledge, devotion, selfless work and inward contemplation (jnana, bhakti, karma, and yoga) are harmoniously blended. Swami Vivekananda also cautioned us that action, implementation of our vision is needed: “One ounce of practice is worth a thousand pounds of theory.” “One ounce of practice is worth twenty thousand tons of big talk.” We should therefore try to implement the New Education Policy 2020 steadily and steadfastly, patiently and perseveringly, taking all the stakeholders on board so that our country regains its past glory in all fields, not only in the spiritual field, but in the fields of science and technology, humanities and social sciences, liberal arts and performing arts, and becomes a supreme power which is the gentle power of peace and harmony, upon whose banner will be written: “Help and not fight; assimilation and not destruction; harmony and peace and not dissension,” which were the last very words of Swami Vivekananda at the valedictory session of the famous World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. We end with remembering Swami Vivekananda’s exhortation: “Let us all work hard, my brethren. This is no time for sleep. On our work depends the coming of the India of the future. She is there, ready, waiting. … Arise, awake and see her seated on her eternal throne, rejuvenated, more glorious than she ever was, this motherland of ours.”
Swami Atmapriyananda
Vice Chancellor
31 July 2020