4 min readNew DelhiJun 27, 2026 01:44 PM IST
First published on: Jun 27, 2026 at 01:05 PM IST
Bihar Education Minister Mithilesh Tiwari has been under attack from the Opposition parties, including the RJD and Congress, for his alleged bid to “saffronise” education through a host of initiatives such as verification of madrasas, revamp of Sanskrit schools and the proposed Saraswati Vidya Niketan model schools. In an interview with The Indian Express, Tiwari, who is a BJP MLA from the Baikunthpur constituency in Gopalganj, speaks on the NDA government’s education roadmap, Indian knowledge system, and cultural nationalism, among other issues. Excerpts:
* Ever since you took charge as the Education Minister last month, you have been in the line of the Opposition’s fire over “saffronisation” of education. What is your response?
Our entire education system is in complete sync with the National Education Policy (NEP). Our focus is to revive and strengthen the Indian knowledge system. We are not bothered by some people calling it “cultural nationalism” or “saffronisation of education”. Our primary goal is to bring students back to government schools by offering modern education featuring the best teachers, infrastructure, science, technology, and now, AI.
* You propose to reform both madrasa and Sanskrit education? Are you addressing both to strike a balance?
We have over 1,900 government madrasas, which also receive intermittent funds to build and repair their infrastructure. In contrast, over 600 Sanskrit schools affiliated with the Sanskrit Education Board have only been getting teacher salaries from the government. It is strange that no previous government ever thought of providing infrastructure funds to Sanskrit schools.
We have started physical verifications of both government-aided madrasas and Sanskrit schools to check enrolment status and the daily presence of students and teachers. Our ongoing inspections have suggested anomalies, such as ghost schools, ghost students, and high teacher absenteeism. We will rein these in and streamline both systems. However, we are deeply committed to rebuilding Sanskrit schools in our bid to promote the Indian knowledge system. We will screen out non-functioning madrasas and rebuild Sanskrit schools.
* You have also come under attack for your proposed model school project for Class 9 to Class 12 in all 534 blocks of the state on the lines of the RSS-run schools.
We have named our model schools Saraswati Vidya Niketan. It is only befitting to name our model schools after Goddess Saraswati. We don’t worry too much about the RJD or any other party calling it an emulation of the RSS. They see everything through an RSS and “saffronisation” prism. Our goal is to create schools that can prepare our students for high-end competitive examinations entirely for free.
* You have been accused of targeting teachers, even stating that they would be marked absent if they leave the school campus to use toilets outside?
When we are providing toilets within the school campus, why should they leave the school under the guise of such lame excuses just to stay away from their duties? We have found that teachers come to school, mark their attendance, and leave. We are putting a system of real-time reporting in place. In the near future, we will switch completely to AI monitoring of our schools. We are committed to checking absenteeism at all costs.
* Why are you pitching for the Indian knowledge system?
Under the NEP, we are committed to reviving our cultural and educational ethos. We are going to introduce Yoga as a subject starting next academic calendar, as has been duly announced by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary. From the Vedas, Puranas, and Upanishads to classic Indian Sanskrit, Hindi, and other regional language texts, there is a wealth of knowledge. We have a rich legacy in the Nalanda and Vikramshila models of education.
* Until May, your ally JD(U) held the education portfolio. Does the BJP taking over the department not signal an ideological shift?
This is an NDA government, and the focus is entirely on continuity. We are only talking about further prioritising education and bringing government schools on par with any top-tier private school.
Mithilesh Tiwari is a BJP MLA from the Baikunthpur constituency in Gopalganj. (Photo: X/@mkrtiwari_bjp) 
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