Vidya Bharati is an "educational" organisation of the RSS campaigning for the "Hinduisation" of education and running an estimated 20,000 low-cost private schools, often catering to Dalit and Adivasi children. It claims to be the "largest educational NGO" in the world. Its schools propagate simplistic and communal versions of Indian history: world civilization emerged from India; Aryans are indigenous Indians; Muslims were invaders and oppressors. The rich complexity of India's ancient history, and the place of Muslims in Indian history are replaced with these caricatures. Students are taught that modern scientific knowledge such as the speed of light can be found in ancient Hindu texts.

The schools can be thought of as part of the broader Sangh Parivar project of communalising and militarising education. For example RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said the country needs more schools such as the Bhonsala military school, which aims to "to bring about military regeneration of the Hindus" and equip "boys for the game of killing masses of men with the ambition of winning victory with the best possible causalities [sic] of dead and wounded while causing the utmost possible to the adversary..."

References:
• India: RSS Schools and the Hindu Nationalist Education Project, by Akshay Bakaya.
• Hindu Right Goes to School to Build a Nation, by Somini Sengupta in the New York Times.
• History, Vacuum-Cleaned, by Saba Naqvi, Outlook, Dec. 2001.

Related words:

Sangh Parivar

RSS

communalism

Dinanath Batra

Hindutva and education