Punjab Congress MLA Pargat Singh has alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab is allowing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to shape the state’s education system in line with its ideological goals, while releasing a video showing Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) Vice-Chancellor Karamjeet Singh briefing RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat during an education conference in Mysuru.
He claimed that the AAP-led government’s complacency has enabled the RSS to extend its influence into Punjab’s universities and steer academic priorities according to its vision, according to The Indian Express.
The interaction took place at the ‘Gyan Sabha – Education for Viksit Bharat’ conference, which was held on July 28 at the BN Bahadur Institute of Management Sciences (BNBIMS) in Manasagangotri and jointly organised by Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.
The event focused on the role of education in building a developed India and served as a platform for highlighting initiatives aligned with the revival of Indian knowledge systems.
The video shared by Pargat Singh shows the GNDU Vice-Chancellor rising from the audience to brief the RSS chief about recent developments at the university, including the introduction of a compulsory PhD course on Bharatiya parampara (Indian tradition) and the establishment of a Sikh Chair to explore connections between the Rigveda and the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev.
The Congress leader linked this interaction to what he called a growing pattern of right-wing influence in Punjab’s academic affairs under the current state government.
He further criticised the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) in Punjab, arguing that it represents a continuation of the government’s ideological convergence with the RSS.
The Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas, which hosted the Mysuru event, is regarded as the RSS’s main vehicle for education-related outreach, promoting curriculum reform, value-based education, and the integration of ancient Indian knowledge traditions into mainstream academia.