Diving lessons

There was a time when UGC Chairman Ved Prakash was asked by the HRD Ministry to clarify on his foreign trips taken a few months ago. Appointed during UPA regime Ved Prakash had never been considered a pro-RSS man. But last week he not only attended the Ujjain conference organised by SSUN of the RSS, he also echoed several suggestions which have been on the RSS agenda.

In his concluding speech, he repeatedly using terms “Rashtra,” “Sanskriti,” “Sabhyata,” “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, which are mostly used as RSS terminology. He also praised SSUN general secretary Atul Kothari for organising such discourse. Interestingly, National Council for Teachers Education Chairman S C Panda also attended the conference but did not get a chance to speak.

ANOTHER CIRCULAR

Not to be left behind in celebrating birthdays of prominent personalities by organising activities in schools, the Tribal Affairs Ministry has issued a circular to the Tribal Welfare Departments in all states asking them to mark Swami Vivekanand’s birth anniversary on January 12 in all Ashram Schools, Eklavya Model Residential Schools and other schools in tribal areas.

A ministry circular dated December 16 has asked states to “issue appropriate instructions” to these schools to observe the day, which is also the National Youth Day, by organising debates, quizzes and other activities for students of classes XII, XI and X.

LAND MATTERS

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Tuesday attended the Defence Estates Day in the Capital. Relating the day with the 1971 Bangladesh war victory, he jokingly told the Defence Estates officials: 43 years ago, you gave away the biggest piece of land (Bangladesh). However, he was quick to add that we are the country of Rama and don’t rule over other nations.