Jaipur: State higher education department has directed government colleges to install statue of Swami Vivekananda in their campuses to inspire students. Recently, a circular was issued asking individuals and student union representatives to fund the statues. Rajasthan has 219 government colleges, most of which lack basic infrastructure like classrooms and teachers.
"Every college must have a statue of a 'mahapurush'. If you don't have any statue, then you are required to install the statue of Swami Vivekananda to inspire students," reads the circular.
Experts see it as an attempt by the BJP to hijack Vivekananda as its sole entity. Raje government has named model schools in every gram panchayat after Swami Vivekananda. In many of these schools, statues of Vivekananda have been installed by donors. Vivekananda pictures also appear on the cover pages of many revised government school textbooks, which have surpassed Mahatma Gandhi.
Vice principal of Maharani's College, Rashmi Jain, feels that every national icon carries a value system which needs to be disseminated. "I wish to see a centre for excellence named after such personalities who can motivate students in all spheres of life," said Jain.
A government college teacher in Jaipur said that the circular reflects the education department's misdirected priorities. "Rajasthan has the lowest gross enrolment ratio in the country. The conversion rate from Class XII to college is less than 60%. The focus should be on revising the decades-old curricula and making it job-oriented," he said.
He also said that allowing funding from outside will increase interference in the functioning of colleges.
"Every college must have a statue of a 'mahapurush'. If you don't have any statue, then you are required to install the statue of Swami Vivekananda to inspire students," reads the circular.
Experts see it as an attempt by the BJP to hijack Vivekananda as its sole entity. Raje government has named model schools in every gram panchayat after Swami Vivekananda. In many of these schools, statues of Vivekananda have been installed by donors. Vivekananda pictures also appear on the cover pages of many revised government school textbooks, which have surpassed Mahatma Gandhi.
Vice principal of Maharani's College, Rashmi Jain, feels that every national icon carries a value system which needs to be disseminated. "I wish to see a centre for excellence named after such personalities who can motivate students in all spheres of life," said Jain.
A government college teacher in Jaipur said that the circular reflects the education department's misdirected priorities. "Rajasthan has the lowest gross enrolment ratio in the country. The conversion rate from Class XII to college is less than 60%. The focus should be on revising the decades-old curricula and making it job-oriented," he said.
He also said that allowing funding from outside will increase interference in the functioning of colleges.
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