In a first, Visva Bharati – primarily based by Rabindranath Tagore and West Bengal’s easiest Central college – has rescheduled its semester tests so as that Vidya Bharati Uchcha Shiksha Sansthan (VBUSS), the elevated academic hover of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), can take care of its Bharat Boudh IKS (Indian Data Techniques) examination on the campus on January 31.
HT has considered a copy of Visva Bharati’s legitimate notification to this attain.
The Bharat Boudh IKS exam, a section of the National Training Protection (NEP) 2020, shall be held concurrently at hundreds of centres across all states.
The Visva Bharati’s decision has caused sturdy reaction among Bengal’s educationists and individuals of the Tagore family with many calling it “saffronisation” of a campus situation up at Santiniketan in Birbhum district in 1921 by Tagore.
“As desired, the undersigned is directed by Competent Authority to bring the following in recognize of conducting the Bharat Boudh IKS Examination on January 31, 2026: The enthusiastic departments/centres/Bhawans shall create clear that that that no UG/PG semester-discontinuance examinations shall be held from January 29, 2026 to February 2, 2026 and notified accordingly,” stated the Visva Bharati’s December 11 notification issued by the joint registrar of examinations.
The immense grandson of Rabindranath’s brother Satyendranath Tagore, Supriyo Tagore, 86, serene lives in Santiniketan the put he grew up.
“It is miles a harmful trend. I undoubtedly feel destroy. Visva Bharati is changing hasty. I can’t factor in that it is miles altering its examination agenda for an RSS hover,” Supriyo Tagore suggested HT.
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Referring to India as Bharat, the Bharat Boudh IKS web residing says it “is a transformative academic project of Vidya Bharati Uchcha Shiksha Sansthan, aimed at reconnecting youth with Bharatiya Data Techniques (BKS) by structured examinations, cultural integration and new capabilities.”
“It seeks to ignite pleasure, curiosity and records rooted in Bharat’s prosperous mental traditions. By integrating BKS into competitive tests and festivals rooted in Bharatiya traditions, we are trying to bridge the gap between previous records and new training,” the gap provides.
Visva Bharati’s have below-graduate and postgraduate semester examinations are scheduled to be held between January 7 and February 10, college individuals stated.
“The RSS is widely viewed as a True-hover organisation and its name has been linked to communal incidents. It is thoroughly miserable that an internationally acclaimed institute and a UNESCO world heritage residing esteem Visva Bharati is offering put to RSS,” a senior college member stated, inquiring for anonymity.
Visva Bharati spokesperson Atig Ghosh would possibly per chance perhaps now not be contacted by HT despite a couple of efforts on Wednesday nonetheless he suggested a half of the district media that the departments were easiest requested no longer to take care of any exam between January 29 and February 2 and no such exam became scheduled for that length till the eye became issued.
Ghosh also suggested the native media that esteem every Central universities, Visva Bharati, too, has to prepare the Centre’s directions.
To create clear that, HT accessed a letter issued by the Jammu and Kashmir elevated training department in which Dr (Prof) Seema Naz, the nodal essential of Kashmir division colleges, wrote to all college principals on December 11, the identical day Visva Bharati issued its notification.
Her letter stated: “It is intimated that Vidya Bharati Uchcha Shiksha Sansthan is organising the Bharat Boudh IKS National Examination on January 31 and February 1, 2026 across the nation to promote the integration of Bharatiya Data Techniques (BKS) in elevated training as envisaged in National Training Police (NEP) 2020.”
The records, Naz wrote, must be “circulated for wider verbal exchange, college students’ registration and examination administration.”
A logician and one in all the founders of the Brahmo faith, Debendranath Tagore moved from Kolkata to Birbhum in 1863 to pursue an ascetic lifestyles. His son, Rabindranath, who by no plan underwent institutionalised training as a baby, moved to Santiniketan around 1900, 5 years sooner than his father’s demise.
After a hit the Nobel prize for literature in 1913, Tagore envisioned an initiate air campus and Visva-Bharati came up in 1921. It became declared a Central college by an Act handed by the Parliament in 1951, ten years after Tagore died. His son, Rathindranath, became the fundamental vice-chancellor in 1951. Since then, easiest Top Ministers beget held the post of the chancellor.
Educationist and ragged vice-chancellor of Kolkata’s Rabindra Bharati College, Pabitra Sarkar stated organisations esteem RSS ought to not ever use the Visva Bharati campus.
“It is extremely undesirable that an self sufficient institution esteem Visva Bharati will enable RSS to make use of its campus for any motive. I shriek. Issues would beget been somewhat a few had an identical self sufficient college approached Visva Bharati,” Sarkar stated.
The placement has prompted many to uncover the controversies that rocked the sprawling campus and command politics over the closing three years.
In 2023, Visva Bharati charged Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen with illegally occupying 13 decimals of the 1.38 acres of his ancestral leased land on the campus.
He stated, “I am a draw because of I tell my views on a secular India the put Hindus and Muslims need to stay in peace. Gandhi and Nehru wanted that.”
Sen therefore gained the lawsuit.
In October 2023, the college installed some plaques marking the inclusion of Santiniketan township in the UNESCO world heritage checklist. These had the names of Top Minister Narendra Modi as the acharya (chancellor) and the then vice-chancellor Bidyut Chakrabarty nonetheless there became no point out of Tagore. The plaques were eliminated two months later after extensive protests.
Final month, the command’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) focused the saffron camp when the Bharatiya Janata Occasion’s (BJP) Karnataka MP Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri stated, “Jana Gana Mana became written to welcome British officials.”
Kolkata-primarily based political science professor Udayan Bandopadhyay stated, “The Vidya Bharati chain of colleges bustle across all states, together with Bengal, by the RSS are dazzling and recognised. So is this examination which all colleges beget been requested to encompass by the NEP. The sphere lies in somewhat a few areas.”
“Vidya Bharati has many centres in Bengal. The examination would possibly per chance perhaps beget been held there moreover. Alternatively, they would possibly per chance beget approached somewhat a few command universities or colleges. It is unthinkable that Visva Bharati rescheduled its examinations for this,” Bandopadhyay added.
Insist BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar, who would possibly per chance be an RSS member, defended the preserving of the exam at Visva Bharati.
“Many RSS individuals are also in the BJP. That does no longer imply all BJP individuals and workers are swayam sevaks. Why are of us announcing that Visva Bharati has been saffronised? If it lets out some examination halls to an organisation, be it the RSS or TMC, how does which beget an affect on its personality?” Sarkar suggested HT.
