Rashtraneeti in Classrooms: Pride or Propaganda?

When History Becomes Homework

The Delhi government’s latest announcement has sparked both excitement and unease: a new “Rashtraneeti Curriculum” will soon enter government schools. It promises to teach students about the RSS, India’s freedom struggle, and “the making of modern India.”

For some, it’s a long-overdue move to anchor learning in Indian values. For others, it raises a harder question: who decides which values make it to the textbook?

The Problem: Pride Without Perspective

Every generation wants its children to know the nation’s story. But history taught in schools isn’t just about facts; it’s about framing. When political narratives shape what’s remembered (and what’s erased), classrooms risk becoming echo chambers rather than spaces for curiosity.

Parents remember earlier curriculum battles: Mughal chapters dropped, Gandhi reduced to a passing mention, or the term “secularism” quietly edited out. The Rashtraneeti rollout renews that anxiety, not because patriotism is bad, but because patriotism without plurality becomes propaganda.

What’s Actually on Offer

According to CBSE-aligned reports, the Delhi curriculum will include:

• Biographies of freedom fighters and nationalist thinkers.

• A unit on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its role in India’s history.

• Lessons aimed at “nation-building values” and civic duty.

It will begin as a pilot in select schools before statewide implementation. The intent sounds noble — moral education and civic pride. But the execution matters far more. Who writes the syllabus? Are historians, teachers, and parents consulted? Are multiple perspectives allowed?

Without a transparent review, “nation-building” can easily slip into nation-branding.

Insight: Classrooms Reflect the Country We’re Building

Curriculum isn’t neutral; it’s a mirror of what a society chooses to remember.

If children are taught that patriotism means uncritical acceptance, they grow up mistaking obedience for love of country. But if they learn that patriotism means participation, asking questions, debating policies, and improving systems, they grow into citizens, not spectators.

The goal should not be to raise ideological followers, but informed patriots who understand that India’s strength lies in its diversity of thought.

What Parents Can Do

1. Ask for transparency. Request to see the curriculum once introduced. Curriculum is a public document, not a political secret.

2. Engage your child’s school. Encourage teachers to balance textbooks with independent projects, biographies from different regions, oral histories from families, and community archives.

3. Discuss at home. Ask your children what they’re learning about “freedom” and “nationhood.” Add stories that textbooks might skip, from Ambedkar to Aruna Asaf Ali to tribal leaders like Birsa Munda.

4. Push for pluralism. National pride grows stronger when children see the full mosaic, not a single color.

The SchoolDoor View

A sense of belonging begins with knowing one’s roots, but it thrives only when children learn to question, empathize, and think freely. The Rashtraneeti curriculum could be an opportunity if built on inclusivity and transparency, not ideology.

As parents, we have the right, and the responsibility, to keep that distinction alive.

Call to Action

Ask your child’s school to share the new civic or moral-education modules publicly. If your school is piloting Rashtraneeti, share your feedback with the SchoolDoor. When citizens stay informed, classrooms stay democratic.