– Mita Mukherjee

A circular recently issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC) asking higher education institutions to participate in a convention – “Bharati-Nari to Narayani” which is being organised by Bharatiya Vidvat Parishad and Rashtra Sevika Samiti, both affiliates of the RSS has drawn sharp criticisms from academics.

While some criticised the UGC for allowing the RSS to exercise its influence on higher education institutions, others say that some of the themes of the convention that are referred in the letters of the two RSS affiliated organisations are similar to the “manuvadi” summons for women like “go back to kitchen,” and “nurture child”.

The UGC released the circular asking institutions to attend the National Convention of Women Thought Leaders, called “Bharati-Nari to Narayani,” which is set to take place at Vigyan Bhavan on March 7–8, 2026.

According to the communication, which calls it a “collaborative national platform for women thought leaders” will discuss inclusive leadership, self-reliance, and holistic national development.

Apoorvanand Jha, a columnist and a professor at Delhi University, criticised the circular on X, claiming that the UGC was “actively propagating and promoting the affiliates of the RSS.”

“All state institutions are now extended bodies of the RSS,” he said on X referring to the circular.

There are many topics that are to be discussed in the programme which aims to celebrate women’s achievements, foster innovative ideas and build partnerships for India’s future.

But what is worrisome is that both the organisers are the affiliates of RSS, Apoorvanand said.

“It has not been the practice of the UGC to ask universities to participate in a programme of an organisation which is not a state organisation. Both the organisers are affiliates of RSS. The UGC cannot propagate one ideology. They cannot do this. This is not UGC’s mandate and it is also not the mandate of the UGC to ask universities what to do and what not to do. Their (UGC) aim is to maintain standards. That is all,” Apoorvanand told EducationWorld.

But, according to the Delhi University professor, increasingly what UGC has been doing is it keeps sending circulars to universities asking them to do this and do that.

“This is not a fair practice because such instructions generate a fear among the universities. It is not mandatory for universities to follow what the UGC is telling them to do. But the fear is there because the UGC is a funding agency. So the fear of being deprived of funds will force them to follow whatever Instruction comes from the UGC. At the same time there is another side of the problem. Most institutions usually follow whatever dictat comes from above.So it is expected that these institutions would follow this instruction unthinkingly.”

Some academics said some of the topics to be discussed at the convention deals with women empowerment but it appears some of the issues mentioned in the two letters of the two RSS bodies looks ,” regressive” and encourages women to go back to family.

“The UGC has virtually turned itself out to be a stooge for RSS. The eight themes like strengthening the stories of success that are referred to in the letters of those two organisations are based on issues that encourage women to go back to family. The letters talk about women’s role in taking a conservationist approach, preserving traditions, supporting education within families etc. But they have nothing to do with equipping women to face the challenges of modern life. These ideas are regressive and have similarity with the Manuvadi sermons for women like ‘go back to kitchen’ and ‘nurture child’. In fact the BJP and RSS are the votaries of these Manuvadi views.We strongly condemn this order of the UGC and demand immediate withdrawal of it,” Tarun Kanti Naskar, general secretary of All India Save Education Committee, an all- India organisation of academics, told EducationWorld.

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