Delhi – Prime Minister's Office, South Block – February 25th, 1949
The sun was setting when Education Minister Narahari D. Parikh knocked on Arjun Mehra's office door. Arjun looked up from his desk, which was covered with files about industrial development and administrative work.
The UCC crackdown was finally over, and his "managed democracy" was running smoothly. But today he wanted to focus on something more important. He wanted to talk about education.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was already in the room. He stood by the window reading intelligence reports of recent uproar in the region of East Bengal. When Parikh entered, he carried several thick binders under his arm.
"Prime Minister, Sardar-ji," Parikh said. "The Department of National Values & Civics and the Bureau of Religious Institution Oversight have finished their work. We have completed the first drafts of our new elementary and middle school textbooks."
He placed the binders on Arjun's desk. Each one had the new national emblem on the cover. "These are the drafts for Science, Vedic Mathematics, History and Civics, and Sanskrit Language. These subjects represent our biggest break from the colonial education system. We are not just changing what children learn.
We are changing how they think about themselves and their country."
Arjun opened the first binder. Months ago, he had given Parikh detailed notes about what to include in each subject. Most of these concepts already existed in advanced STEM books and research papers, but they were absent from standard school curricula.
The colonial education system either ignored them completely or taught outdated methods that would become impractical in the future. Arjun had also included a small number of corrections to current theories that his future memory told him were wrong.
Now he wanted to see how well Parikh's team had incorporated these advanced concepts into lessons that children could understand.
"How did the content turn out?" Arjun asked.
"Quite well, Prime Minister. The Science books introduce concepts that exist in advanced research but were never taught at elementary levels before. We also reference ancient Indian scientific achievements.
We want students to know that innovation is part of their heritage. Same The History and Civics books tell a unified story of Bharat. They emphasize our shared culture and the importance of duty to the nation."
But then Parikh's expression changed. He looked frustrated. "However, we ran into serious problems with the Vedic Mathematics and Sanskrit Language books. Your notes showed us how to teach advanced mathematical concepts through ancient Sanskrit texts.
But here lies the problem. We have very few people in all of India who know both Sanskrit deeply and understand modern mathematics and science."
Patel turned from the window. "Sanskrit," he said with annoyance. "Always the same problem. After centuries of neglect, it has been reduced to a language for scholars and priests, and not for regular people. And those traditional teachers can be very stubborn about new ideas."
"Exactly," Parikh agreed. "We searched the entire country. We contacted universities, traditional schools, ashrams, and private tutors. We found less than a thousand Sanskrit scholars and mathematical gurus who fir our criterion and could do this work.
Others are either not proficient enough, or lack the knowledge needed in Vedic Mathematics (along with advance concepts) and Science.
Even then, most of them needed extensive retraining. They had to learn how to teach concepts that exist in advanced textbooks but were never part of school curriculum before. Plus, they also had to learn the few corrections you provided to current theories."
Parikh pointed to the binders. "This is why the high school level drafts will take much longer. The advanced topics you want included exist in university level research, but creating age-appropriate versions in Sanskrit is extremely difficult.
Our Sanskrit experts are still figuring out how to teach complex physics and chemistry through ancient language frameworks."
He paused. "We estimate we need at least another year before the high school materials are ready."
Arjun looked up from the textbooks. He smiled slightly. He had expected these problems. His future knowledge covered centuries of academic development. He was asking his team to compress decades of work into months.
The shortage of people who could bridge ancient languages with future science was something he had seen coming.
"I understand, Narahari-ji," Arjun said calmly. "The challenges are huge, but the goal is worth it. This is not just about teaching subjects to children. We are creating a unique intellectual tradition. It will compete with any educational system in the world. It will be rooted in our heritage but reach into the future."
He looked at Patel. "Sardar-ji, I need the Bureau of National Ideology & Religious Oversight to give Minister Parikh complete support. Help him find and recruit traditional scholars. Find Sanskrit pandits who can contribute to this work.
Offer them good incentives. Create positions of honor for them in our new educational councils. We must make them understand that they are part of something historic."
Patel nodded. His eyes stayed on the binders. The experienced politician understood what Arjun was really doing.
"We also need to think about the teachers," Arjun continued. "We cannot give these new textbooks to teachers who were trained under the British system. They will not understand the philosophy behind what we are creating."
Parikh nodded. "You are right, Prime Minister. We have started identifying teachers who show promise for this new approach. But like I said before, we will need extensive retraining programs. We will need summer institutes and ongoing support."
"Then create them," Arjun said. "Use whatever resources you need. You have my complete support. But I want the elementary and middle school materials ready for next academic year.
I understand the high school work will take longer, but we cannot delay the foundation. Especially when mandatory education policy include elementary and middle schools."
Patel picked up one of the Science textbooks and flipped through it. "Some of these mathematical concepts seem quite advanced for young children. Are we sure they can handle this?"
Arjun's smile grew wider. "Children are much more capable than we think, Sardar-ji. When we present advanced concepts within familiar cultural stories, when we connect new ideas to traditions they already know, amazing learning happens.
Besides, we are not trying to create average students. We are trying to create exceptional ones. Not to mention, they won't be asked to cram them. These topics will be taught with enough depth according to their level, and will increase as the student moves to higher standard.
And most importantly, they won't be tested on these concepts. Not until they reach the high school level."
"The Sanskrit component is particularly bold," Parikh added, opening another binder. "We are asking children to learn science and mathematics through a classical language that most of their parents do not speak. This is a massive cultural change."
"And cultural change is exactly what we need," Arjun replied firmly. "The British spent two centuries convincing Indians that their traditions were backward. We are going to prove the opposite. We will show that ancient wisdom and modern knowledge strengthen each other.
When our children grow up knowing their ancestors were pioneers in mathematics and science, they will face the world with confidence instead of shame."
Parikh made notes as Arjun spoke. "We have received some resistance from educators who prefer the old methods. They argue we are making education too complicated. They say we should focus on practical skills rather than philosophical integration."
"Practical skills," Patel repeated with disgust. "The British taught us to think only about practical skills. Look where that thinking led us. Two hundred years of slavery."
Arjun stood and walked to the large map of India on his wall. The borders were still being decided, the princely states still being integrated, but the shape of the nation was becoming clear. "Practical skills are meaningless without the theoretical foundation, Narahari-ji.
Every great civilization understood that education is about more than job training. The Greeks knew this. The Chinese knew this. We knew this before the Mughals and British arrived. Education shapes identity and creates loyalty. It also decides whether a nation produces followers or leaders."
He turned back to both men. "I want our children to grow up believing they inherit the greatest intellectual tradition in human history. I want them to approach mathematics as descendants of Aryabhata and Brahmagupta.
I want them to study science as children of Charaka and Sushruta. When they learn these subjects in Sanskrit, when they see connections between ancient wisdom and modern discovery, they will develop pride that no colonial education could ever give them."
Patel had been listening quietly. Now he spoke with the voice of experience. "Still, even though the Education policy have been implemented, the quiet opposition is still there. Not just from old fashioned educators, but from parents who worry their children will fall behind international standards.
People fear change, especially when it involves their children's futures."
"Then we demonstrate with results," Arjun said without hesitation. "When our students start outperforming students from other systems, when our approach produces scientists and mathematicians who can compete with anyone in the world, the opposition will disappear. Excellence speaks louder than tradition."
An aide brought tea and sweets, giving all three men a moment to think. They were not just reforming education. They were trying to reshape how an entire civilization thought about itself.
"Narahari-ji," Arjun said finally, his voice carrying complete authority, "Remember, your work is the foundation of everything we are building. So, no matter the hurdles, we must see it through.
Because I'm sure that one day, this will become the pillar that will extend Bharat's reach to the heights no one had imagined."
And with that, the meeting finally ended.
[A/N: I'll release the additional chapter tomorrow]