Overview
- Delivering the Sixth Ramnath Goenka Lecture on November 17, the prime minister urged a nationwide pledge to shed a colonial “mindset of slavery” within a decade, framing the effort ahead of the 200th anniversary in 2035 of what he called Macaulay’s “crime.”
- He blamed Thomas Babington Macaulay’s 1835 education policy for promoting English-centric instruction and eroding cultural confidence, while stressing support for Indian languages under the NEP and clarifying the government is not opposed to English.
- Modi cited heritage and tourism to argue for renewed pride in indigenous traditions and said post-Independence elites embraced foreign models for governance and innovation at the expense of swadeshi priorities.
- Coverage situates the call within the Sangh Parivar’s long campaign against “Macaulayism” and notes it aligns with ongoing curriculum moves, including NCERT textbook revisions since 2018 and 2024 under NEP frameworks that have drawn debate.
- Analysts and editorials describe the goal as complex and deeply social, saying meaningful change would require shifts beyond textbook edits and noting that the announcement outlines a broad mission rather than new, detailed policy measures.