Bhubaneswar: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday said the National Education Policy (NEP) will help India’s new generation break free from the “Macaulay mentality” and reconnect with the country’s civilisational values, knowledge traditions, and cultural roots.
Referring to the legacy of British-era education policies, Pradhan recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on the lasting impact of Thomas Babington Macaulay on India’s education system.
“The crime committed by Macaulay against India’s cultural and educational foundations will complete 200 years in 2035. Over the next decade, we must resolve to free ourselves from the mindset of slavery that Macaulay imposed on India,” Prime Minister Modi had said on the occasion.
Pradhan said the NEP is designed to undo this historical distortion by promoting Indian knowledge systems, mother-tongue-based learning, critical thinking, and holistic education, while preparing students to meet global challenges with confidence rooted in national identity.
During his visit to Nagpur, the Union Minister paid tribute at the Dr. Hedgewar Smruti Mandir in Reshimbagh, the memorial of Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Pradhan also visited Deekshabhoomi, the memorial where Dr. B.R. Ambedkar embraced Buddhism, and offered his respects to the chief architect of the Indian Constitution.
The minister’s visits to these significant sites underscored, he said, the importance of drawing inspiration from India’s diverse intellectual, social, and nationalist traditions while shaping the future of education in the country.
-OdishaAge
