World is presently discussing “The Modi Question”, a BBC documentary that has been blocked in India by the Union Government led by PM Narendra Modi, but the question does not end here. The new socio-political environment created by PM Narendra Modi in the last two decades has put the entire Indian society under a great sustainability risk with a rocky path ahead, since the Union Government has begun from January 26, coinciding with Saraswati Puja (the day of worship of the Hindu goddess of eloquence), an education system purportedly to teach “correct history” under new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which is understood by impartial educationists nothing but “Hindu communalism” popularly known as “Hindutva”.

This “Hindutva” has been given the colour of “Hinduism” for which recommendation of the four Vedas and Bhagvad Gita to be part of “corrected history” has been obtained from the Parliament of India under NEP 2020 on December 28, and on December 30, the Union Minister of Education had announced that the new “corrected history” syllabus will be implemented across all schools of the country from January 26, 2023.

India’s school going population under 14 years of age, for whom education is a fundamental right in India, is 25.69 per cent of the population of the country. Students below this age are not only entitled to free education under the Constitution of India, but also such an education that enables them living together peacefully rather than alienating them from their peers of other religion. In this way, India has just started inflicting irreparable damage to the understanding and character of the very children that will have no redemption at any age of their lives until their death. Such efforts have been done in the past through so called religious teachings by several communities and now we can see how our younger population is by and large communally divided.

In spite of being fundamental right to education below the age of 14, about 3 per cent were out of school prior to the pandemic. In 2020-21 about 0.8 per cent children at the primary level (Classes 1-5) had dropped out from school, which went up to 1.5 per cent in 2021-22. At the upper primary level (Classes 6-8), the drop out rate has gone up from 1.9 to 3 per cent respectively. India has thus clearly failed in protecting the children’s fundamental right to education.

The population between 15 and 25 years of age must be either in educational institutions or in job. About 24.3 per cent of India’s population is under this category. Every year, about 2 crore leave education and enter the job market. There is joblessness in the market and unemployment rate was as high as 8.3 per cent in December 2022. The implementation of toxic communal education at this level would further communalize them against each other. If we add another five years up to 30 years, the age by which younger population must be in decent job, they are about 26.3 per cent of the population.

It is between 15-30, most of the people marry and beget children. They need education and job but the government policies are failing to meet these demand. It creates cut throat competition among them in admission into higher education and in the job market. Only 27.4 per cent of younger between 18-23 year of age are able to join higher education, and the rest are struggling in the job market.

The entire working age population between 15 and 64 years of age in India are 67.51 per cent of the population of the country. However, the labour force participation rate in December 2022 was only 37.1 per cent. The population of adults between 30 and 64 is about 15.51 per cent of the population, while elders’ population above 65 is about 6.8 per cent of the population. The National Commission on Population has projected the elder population to grow up to 18 per cent by 2036.

These data show that the so called “demographic dividend” is not going to work in favour of India though it has been projected as such. “Demographic Divide” is being nurtured instead in the name of teaching “correct history” of India.

Education system has been made costly every since PM Narendra Modi came to power making them unaffordable for the poor. The world of work is changing fast and becoming increasingly knowledge driven, a knowledge that is secular rather than communal. Majority of the younger population would not be getting any job what to talk about a decent one. Moreover, creation of a highly communal mindset would be potentially dangerous for peace in the society.

Such an education system that the Modi government is trying to push would not be sustainable in the long run, and would create havoc to our younger age population below 30 years of age. It is the most productive and reproductive age. Women and children would suffer the most due to lack of right kind of social environment, education, and means of survival.

Joblessness and lack of social security coverage would put majority of working age population in such precarious position in which they would even not be able to take care of their elderly.

Education, job market and the society being led towards a rocky path ahead putting all of the three on high sustainability risk, unwittingly for political gain in the nine states legislative assembly elections in 2023 and Lok Sabha election in 2024.