PM Modi lauds Ambedkar, Lohia's effort on education

Though rarely clubbed together, the disparate figures of Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Ram Manohar Lohia and Babasaheb Ambedkar were made allies in a speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, when he invoked the three modern India philosophers to conclude that they held "same views" on education and placed "character-building" higher than its other features.

"On education, these philosophers of modern India held same views... They saw in education a reflection of character and social interest. Babasaheb Ambedkar said that 'a man lacking in character and politeness is more dangerous than an animal'... that character is more important than education...

"Deen Dayal Upadhyay did not limit education to institutions... and emphasised how society can teach society, how one generation can teach the other," Modi said during his address at the "Conference on Academic Leadership on Education for Resurgence" here.

On the "learned" socialist Ram Manohar Lohia, he said that he advocated for such a system of education which "brings man, family, society and nation into one fold".

In essence, Modi concluded, these philosophers valued character-building aspect of education over its monetary benefits.

"If education is acquired without any goal then it is nothing more than a certificate hanging on one's wall," Modi said.

The conference was organised by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and the Research for Resurgence Foundation -- a sister-concern of the RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal -- and was attended by over 350 Vice Chancellors and heads of higher education institutions.