Implement Indian Knowledge System, NEP 2020 earnestly: Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat tells varsities

In his maiden interaction with the Vice-Chancellors of all the 24 non-agricultural universities of the State on Tuesday (October 28, 2025), Maharashtra and Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat told them to submit quarterly reports to Raj Bhavan and implement the Indian Knowledge System along with the National Education Policy 2020 earnestly. He expressed concern about the decline in university rankings amid growing competition, and directed the State’s universities to take immediate corrective measures.

“The duty of universities is not limited to imparting literacy and awarding degrees. They must also provide skill-based education, nurture entrepreneurship, and develop students into responsible citizens who will contribute to achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047,” he told the Vice-Chancellors and Secretaries of a few departments.

Educational experts have criticised the move, calling it regressive and impractical, adding that it was a way of implementing the RSS idea of the Indian Knowledge System.

The Indian Knowledge System (IKS) is a diverse body of indigenous knowledge encompassing science, philosophy, technology, arts, and more, developed over millennia in India. It includes both classical traditions and the customs of various communities, aiming to promote interdisciplinary research, preserve traditional knowledge for societal applications, and integrate it into the modern curriculum for holistic development. This system is a key component of the National Education Policy 2020 and includes areas such as Yoga, Ayurveda, Sanskrit, and classical music and dance.

The directives given by the Governor included the submission of quarterly progress reports to the Raj Bhavan, recognising that the universities play a vital role in shaping responsible citizens, taking steps to improve institutional rankings at the national level, encouraging students to participate actively in sports and physical activities, giving priority to skill-based education for girl students and working towards women empowerment, ensuring transparency, efficiency, and integrity in administration, conducting regular inspections of hostels, messes, and sanitation facilities, rigorous implementation of the School Connect Programme to increase student enrollment in higher education.

“If India has to regain its past glory, its youth are the greatest asset. Today’s students are intelligent and observant — they notice how their teachers behave, how punctual they are, and how updated their knowledge is. Therefore, teachers must remain disciplined, updated, and punctual,” he said.

Impractical and regressive

“The Governor is considered to be the titular head or Chancellor of the Universities. But this is the first time in the history of the State that a Governor has given such directives. It is not practical to send quarterly reports, especially about the implementation of the Indian Knowledge Systems. But after what the Governor has spoken about the Prime Minister (‘a personality like him comes from divine arrangement’), this does not come as a surprise. This is damaging for the scientific temper of the country. At a time when we are looking forward to competing with the world by becoming Atmanirbhar Bharat, we are looking backward and giving regressive instructions, instead of taking forward-looking steps for cutting edge research,” Datta Balsaraf, social scientist and education expert, told The Hindu.

“The Nobel prizes list does not include Indians. What is our education system doing about it? Instead, the RSS agenda of Indian Knowledge System seems to be the focus. This is pressurising the intelligentia’s free spaces. The long term impact on the institutions of higher education will be adverse. The proportion of merit based Indian students looking at foreign education will only increase due to such steps,” he added.