Students in Delhi government schools will soon learn about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as part of a new programme called ‘Rashtraneeti’, which also includes lessons on freedom fighters and democratic values.
Delhi Schools to Introduce RSS Lessons
Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood confirmed on Tuesday that the curriculum, which is still being finalised, will include lessons on the” history, ideology, and social activities” of the RSS. “Important leaders and social activities of the RSS, as well as its history, will be part of the curriculum. It is important, and there is no reason why these should not be taught,” Sood told The Indian Express. He added that more details will be shared once the draft is ready.
The ‘Rashtraneeti’ programme, launched by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Education Minister Sood on September 18 during the Namo Vidya Utsav, will run from kindergarten to Class 12 in all Delhi government schools. Guidelines from the Directorate of Education say the programme aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, Fundamental Duties, and Sustainable Development Goals.
What students will learn
Officials said the course will cover topics including how RSS was founded and formed in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar. The chapters will elaborate on the ideology and the role of its volunteers in social work and disaster relief, including efforts during the Kedarnath and Bihar floods and the Covid-19 pandemic. Contributions of prominent leaders linked with the RSS, such as former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will also be described
Apart from the RSS, students will study freedom fighters and nationalist leaders like Veer Savarkar, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and Subhas Chandra Bose under a section dedicated to “unsung heroes.”
Programme aims and implementation
The initiative attempts to build civic responsibility, ethical leadership, and constitutional values. Students will take part in sub-committees, youth parliaments, electoral literacy clubs, and field visits. ‘Rashtraneeti’ classes are scheduled for the first and third Saturday of every month.
A government school teacher told The Indian Express that no handbooks have been released yet. “At present, elections are being held to form the committees in schools,” said a Post Graduate Teacher (PGT) overseeing the programme.
A source added to PTI that teacher manuals have been prepared and training sessions are underway at the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), but it is still being decided which classes will start learning the new chapters first.