Now, the Centre has directed the University Grants Commission to instruct higher educational institutions to observe the second anniversary of the surgical strike conducted by the army. Instead of milking the army’s image for political gain, the BJP should think about addressing the problems confronting the armed forces. Additionally, stressful working conditions in India’s restive areas have put immense pressure on soldiers whose sacrifices the BJP seeks to profit from. The choice of the medium to instil in the nation the BJP’s brand of nationalism is also instructive. Given the formidable challenges facing education in India — illiteracy, high drop-out rates and poor rankings of higher education institutions — should not the UGC be tasked to fulfil its primary responsibilities?

Source: The Telegraph September 25, 2018 20:15 UTC