IIT Delhi's decision to invite Ramdev raises eyebrows

Ramdev and members of an RSS affiliate were invited for a programme to discuss how to leverage the technical strength of the IITs for developing rural areas

Amid a raging controversy over saffronisation of education, IIT Delhi's decision to invite yoga guru Ramdev and an RSS affiliate for deliberations on a programme to leverage the technical strength of the IITs for developing rural areas has raised eyebrows.

Ramdev and members of the RSS' Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram had attended the meeting on implementation of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan in January this year along with other stakeholders and professors associated with the programme, including chairman of IIT Delhi Board of Governors, Vijay Bhatkar.

The meeting, during which using cows to address rural issues was discussed, came at a time when the then IIT Delhi Director R Shivgaonkar had stepped down from his post amid allegations of interference by the HRD ministry. His resignation was accepted in June this year.

While Union HRD minister Smriti Irani had consistently denied saffronisation of education, yesterday she held deliberations with RSS affiliated bodies on the new education policy during which they are understood to have also discussed the appointments of possible candidates in various institutes and varsities in the country.

However, IIT Delhi sought to downplay the presence of Ramdev saying he was invited as he wanted to collaborate with the rural development initiatives.

Meanwhile, officials in the HRD ministry said they were not aware of Ramdev's presence at that meeting.

"He wanted to collaborate with rural development activities and we had invited him since he was in Delhi during that period. He also wanted to explore technologies which we wanted to establish in his clusters," said Professor Virender Kumar Vijay of the Centre for Rural Development and Technology at IIT Delhi, which is considered as one of the brainchildren behind the programme.

Professor Vijay also sought to play down reports that they have collaborated with some spiritual gurus in taking ahead the programme.

"We have in fact collaborated with about 100 agencies in our mission which also comprised other spiritual gurus. If they have people connect and want to do something for rural technologies, we will only then consider them," he said.

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, an HRD Ministry scheme anchored by IIT Delhi, seeks to leverage the technical strength of the IITs to help develop rural India through technological intervention.