Daijiworld Media Network - Udaipur

Udaipur, Jan 3: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday raised alarm over a growing trend of white-collar terrorism in India, cautioning that highly educated professionals are increasingly being drawn into anti-social and anti-national activities.

Speaking at the 104th foundation day of Bhupal Nobles’ University, Singh cited the November 10 Red Fort car bomb blast in Delhi, which killed fifteen people, as a chilling example. “These were not unlettered radicals, but qualified doctors. Those trained to save lives were instead found with RDX in their hands,” he said. The attack led to the arrest of several medical professionals, including Dr Umar-un-Nabi, Dr Muzammil Ganai, Dr Adeel Rather, and Dr Shaheena Saeed, revealing a sophisticated white-collar terror module.

Singh argued that such incidents reflect a critical failure in the modern education system, stressing that education must go beyond academic and professional achievement to instil character, humility, and a sense of duty—or “dharma.” He clarified that by religion, he refers to a fundamental responsibility toward fellow citizens and the nation, not rituals or places of worship.

On a positive note, Singh highlighted India’s strides in defence and economic self-reliance. He praised Indian defence startups and expressed confidence that the country will achieve full self-reliance in weapon systems within 15–20 years. He also noted that India, currently the world’s fourth-largest economy, is on track to become the third-largest by 2030.

The minister urged academia to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to research, focusing on practical solutions to societal challenges rather than merely producing journal publications.