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'Education is a necessity, not a business': RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat backs 6% budget demand
Bhagwat stressed that the system should be designed in a way that makes quality education available to everybody without placing financial burden on families.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said education should not be treated as a commercial business but as a necessity that must be accessible to everyone without financial burden.
Backing the long-standing demand to allocate six per cent of the national budget to education, he said the proposal was "appropriate" and should be implemented, while stressing that improving the education system is a collective responsibility and cannot be left to governments alone.
Speaking at an event in Mumbai, Bhagwat said, “This demand is appropriate, we feel, and it should be implemented.”
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“Education is responsibility of all of us”: Bhagwat
Stressing that education is a collective responsibility, Bhagwat said every stakeholder must fulfil their role and any shortcomings must be addressed. "Education is the responsibility of all of us. Those whose duty it is must perform their roles properly... If it is not happening, then there is a problem, and it needs to be corrected," he said.
He also urged society to share responsibility for easing the financial burden of education, saying it should not be viewed as the government's responsibility alone. "This is not just government-provided education but the education of our own children," he said, adding that if society remained "active, vigilant, and contribute[d]," such collective efforts "can happen much faster."
Education should be accessible and affordable
Bhagwat stressed that the system should be designed in a way that makes quality education available to every child without placing an excessive financial burden on families.
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He also indicated that issues such as fee structures require wider discussion and careful consideration.
"There are many aspects of education that need to be addressed. I would like to highlight a few points. The first is that education is not a commercial business; it is a necessity of life. Therefore, the education system should be structured in a way that makes it accessible and affordable for everyone. This requires a lot of thought and discussion, including issues related to fees and other aspects."
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The conference comes close on the heels of nationwide student protests over the alleged NEET-UG paper leak, which led to the resignation of then Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
(With PTI inputs)
