Top educationists, ministers to attend RSS-backed Gyan Sabha in Kerala next week; Mohan Bhagwat to speak on NEP

Representatives from leading spiritual and academic institutions such as the Gayatri Pariwar, Art of Living, Ramakrishna Mission, Chinmaya Mission, and the Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhan Kendra will also take part in the four-day event.

Some of the dignitaries who will attend the meet include the chairman of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), vice-chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), and senior office-bearers of National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs). The vice-chancellors of around 70-80 universities across India are also expected to participate, Nyas general secretary Atul Kothari said.

“Our principal job is to bring about a change in the education system, to bring in Indianness in the system. And we believe this cannot be done by one organisation or institution. That is why we are gathering representatives from the government, academia and social organisations. We are trying to connect with whoever is doing good work in the field of education,” Kothari told The Indian Express.

“During the conference, we will discuss what kind of changes are required in the education system and how we can achieve the same. We will also discuss whether all of us can work together on this goal,” he added.

Announcing the event at a press conference in Delhi on Friday, Kothari said that the purpose of the conference is to explore how education in India can become more value-based, India-centric, and knowledge-oriented. “The aim is not to oppose Western knowledge systems but to ensure Indian students remain rooted in their traditions, culture and knowledge,” he stated.

The first two days of the conclave (July 25–26) will comprise a closed-door ‘Chintan Baithak’, where selected participants will deliberate on issues related to the Indianisation of curriculum, promotion of Indian languages, moral education, and integration of traditional knowledge systems. The concluding day, July 28, will feature a larger open session focused on policy discussions and collaboration.

There will also be a special session on Kerala and the education needs of the state. Notably, Kerala has opposed NEP. “The government there has been opposing it for political reasons. They argue that they want their education based on Kerala’s traditions. We argue how is it different from India’s traditions,” Kothari said.

Such conferences could be organised at the state and district levels as well in the future, he said.

This is the first time such a large educational event by the Nyas is being held in Kerala, the homeland of Adi Shankaracharya, whose birthplace, Kalady, is steeped in spiritual and philosophical legacy.

Speaking about the upcoming Gyan Sabha, Sanjay Swami, national co-convenor of the Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, said the resolutions passed during the meeting and the conference will be followed by nationwide discussions to gather suggestions, forming part of a national campaign.

There will also be an in-depth discussion on the progress, societal impact, and future plans of the ‘One Nation, One Name: Bharat’ campaign being run by the Nyas. Swami stated, “This is not just a matter of nomenclature—it is a resolution for cultural self-awareness and liberation from colonial mindset.” A nationwide signature campaign is being conducted in support of this initiative.

The meeting will also include a review of the Gyan Mahakumbh held in Prayagraj, which, Swami said, was a historic event. Encouraged by its success, the Nyas has been invited to organise a similar Gyan Mahakumbh during the upcoming Kumbh Melas in 2027 and 2028.

The Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas was established in 2007 as an extension of the Shiksha Bachao Andolan, and has since emerged as the RSS’s principal platform for educational outreach. It has been involved in promoting value-based education, textbook reforms, and the revival of Indian knowledge systems, including running teacher training programmes, publishing supplementary material for schools, and lobbying for greater space for Indian languages and moral education in classrooms.

The Gyan Sabha is seen as a significant step in the Nyas’s long-standing effort to shape a national academic vision aligned with Indian civilisational values, in line with the policy thrust of the NEP.