Nalwadi’s reforms laid modern India’s foundation: Union Minister

Dharmendra Pradhan delivers a special lecture at ‘Ekatma Manav Darshan’

Mysore/Mysuru: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan recalled the progressive legacy of the erstwhile Mysore royal family, particularly Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, noting that long before Independence, the Maharaja had introduced representative governance through the ‘Praja Pratinidhi Sabha’.

He highlighted Nalwadi’s contributions to the development of the region, including the establishment of educational institutions and major industries, the construction of the Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam, irrigation projects and several welfare initiatives for the poor.

Pradhan was delivering a special lecture at the three-day international conference titled ‘Ekatma Manav Darshan – Bharat’s World View’ held at the Karnataka State Open University (KSOU) Convocation Hall in city yesterday. He also noted that the Indian Institute of Science, founded under Nalwadi’s patronage, played a key role in shaping modern India.

The conference is being organised to mark 60 years of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya’s lectures on ‘Ekatma Manav Darshan’ (Integral Humanism) from Mar. 25 to 27. It is being held in collaboration with Prajna Pravah, Karnataka and Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation.

Model of India’s vision

Dharmendra Pradhan said Mysuru had pioneered several practices that were later adopted nationally, including urban cleanliness, planned roads, parks and civic infrastructure in Mysuru and Bengaluru.  Nalwadi’s reign also saw the growth of intellectual movements through universities, along with initiatives in environmental protection, sanitation and women’s empowerment. “Today, Mysuru stands as a model for India’s vision,” he said.

He added that India’s philosophical policies, social reforms, economic models and political traditions drew inspiration from Mysuru’s governance.

“The country’s cultural and intellectual heritage, reflected in the teachings of Basavanna, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Deendayal Upadhyaya, continues to influence national thought. Upadhyaya’s Ekatma Manav Darshan recognised the holistic nature of humanity and has inspired several Central Government programmes,” he noted.

NEP-2020

Pradhan reiterated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to make India a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. He also criticised the lingering influence of Macaulay’s colonial education system, saying it continued to affect India even after Independence.

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, he said, emphasises learning in regional languages and seeks to Indianise the education system.

“Indian thought is a continuous stream of knowledge that adapts to changing times while remaining rooted in an ancient civilisation,” he said.

Researcher Dr. M.S. Chaitra said India’s educational foundation lies in the guru-shishya tradition and stressed the need to Indianise institutions on that basis. KSOU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sharanappa V. Halse and Trustee M. Madan Gopal of the Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation were also present.