BENGALURU/ DELHI: In an endorsement of 12th-century social reformer Basaveshwara’s relevance in today’s world, the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has issued a directive to vice-chancellors of technical universities, deemed universities, and AICTE-approved institutions to actively promote and research the philosophy, governance models, and social reform agenda of the saint and revolutionary thinker.In a communication from the Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, the AICTE urged the academic world to highlight Basaveshwara’s teachings for modern India. At a time when India is seeking new models of inclusive development, social justice and decentralized governance, poet-saint Basaveshwara’s radical ideas are being revived and researched by the country’s top educational bodies. The AICTE letter calls for workshops, seminars and research projects on Basaveshwara’s philosophy, exploration of his ‘Lok Sansad’ concept of participative local governance, studies on his fight for social equity, gender equality, and eradication of caste-based discrimination and superstitions, and ‘Vachanas’, which are poetic verses filled with wisdom and rebellion.They spoke out against injustice, patriarchy, blind rituals, and social inequality. Basava himself stood for meritocracy, dignity of labour, rationality, and an egalitarian society.The Indian government now wants engineering students, faculty and research scholars to draw inspiration from this reformer to craft cutting-edge research on governance and social transformation. As India deals with growing social divides and challenges in governance, it is turning to its roots for solutions, and the message is clear: Basaveshwara is not just history, but he has his place in the future.
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