Baba Ramdev has been mulling the idea of setting up a Vedic Education Board (VEB) for sometime now.

His experience of running Acharyakulam, a school started by him in 2013, must have made him aware of the importance of formulating the curriculum, preparing textbooks and conducting exams - things that can only be done by recognised school boards like Central Board Of Secondary Education (CBSE) or state boards.

Acharyakulam was founded with an aim to impart Vedic-cum modern education but since it’s been affiliated with CBSE, it could only achieve so much. If Acharyakulam wants to do what it was meant to do, then it would need its own curriculum, textbooks and freedom to conduct exams its own way. This can be achieved by charting its own path, i.e. setting up a separate board.

Last year, Ramdev was confident that the Union government will set up a Vedic Education Board (VEB). Prime Minister Modi, who had inaugurated Acharyakulam in 2014 in his capacity as Gujarat Chief Minister, seems to be in favor of the idea. Acting on such a proposal from the Patanjali Yogpeeth-run Vedic Education Research Institute (VERI), the PMO held its first meeting last month.

However, The Indian Express reported yesterday (15 April) that the school education secretary, S C Khuntia, had expressed serious reservations about the government recognising a private school board, during the meeting last month.

It seems the first instinct of the babudom to any new proposal is to give the reasons against its feasibility. Below are some objections raised in the meeting which don’t stand scrutiny and the reasons why PM Modi should not allow the proposal to be scuttled by babudom.

#1 One of the objections raised, as mentioned in the TIE report, is about government recognising a private school board. Why shouldn’t a private education board be allowed to enroll schools under itself? If we have private schools operating, why not private boards?

One would think that the fruits of liberalization over the last two and a half decades would make babus see the light. Apparently, not.

#2 Another objection is that recognising VEB will allow it to formulate its own curriculum and recommend its own textbooks which could limit the mobility of students to other boards. But, this reservation is unfounded as the idea of VEB is to allow affiliated schools to offer a blend of traditional Gurukul system and modern curriculum. VEB schools won’t be just other run-of-the-mill gurukuls. Ramdev said as much when he laid out his vision: