Hyderabad, Apr 29 (DC): The Union government is planning a revival of the ancient Vedic system of education on the grounds that modern education has failed society and resulted in increased crime. This was part of Union human resource development (HRD) minister Prakash Javadekar’s statement at the inauguration of the three-day International Virat Gurukul Sammelan in Ujjain on Saturday. “We are working on the new education policy and have asked for suggestions. We will have a draft in a month and in three months, the policy will be ready,” Javadekar said.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has long been campaigning for Vedic and Gurukul systems of education in the country, and RSS leaders also attended the inaugural event. Over 900 gurukuls from India and Nepal are attending the conference.

Minister of state for HRD Satyapal Singh, who was also present at the event, said modern education has failed to check growing crime. “Every child in India should be sent to a gurukul for the first five years. Only Vedic education can nurture our children and make them patriots with mental discipline,” Mr Singh reportedly said.

The education system in ancient India is commonly known as the Vedic system of education, since education was largely based on the Vedas, a word which in Sanskrit means ‘to know’. In ancient India, teaching was considered a holy duty, which a teacher was bound to discharge irrespective of the fee, in the missionary spirit of sacrifice, and society held that both the people and the state should help teachers and educational institutions liberally.

The stated objectives of Vedic education were character formation, all round personality development, intellectual development, spiritual development, and preserving and transmitting culture and education. The curriculum included Vedic literature, Vedangas and physical education, among other subjects.

However, it remains to be seen whether the various states, particularly the non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled ones, will accept an education policy formed in accordance with RSS ideology. Since education is on the concurrent list, the Centre cannot order states to adopt any policy.