Students Across Bengaluru Remember Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, Call to ‘Save Public Education’ Gains Momentum

News Flash

29 July

On 134th Death Anniversary of Social Reformer Vidyasagar, AIDSO Leads Campaign to Defend Affordable and Equitable Education Amid School Closures

Bengaluru: On the 134th death anniversary of Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, students and teachers across Bengaluru gathered under the leadership of the All India Democratic Students' Organisation (AIDSO) to raise a collective voice in defence of public education. The AIDSO Bengaluru District Committee organised events and awareness drives in schools, colleges, parks, and public grounds, reminding citizens of Vidyasagar’s legacy as a pioneer of inclusive and secular education.

City-Wide Participation Across Institutions

Commemorative events were held at key educational institutions including:

• Government PU College, Malleshwaram

• RC Degree College

• BBMP High School, Srirampura

• Maharani Lakshmi Ammani Autonomous PU College

• SJP College, among others.

Students took inspiration from Vidyasagar’s revolutionary work and raised slogans to “Save Public Education”, highlighting the urgent need to address the increasing inequality and unaffordability in India’s education system.

Vidyasagar: The Architect of Modern Indian Education

Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar, remembered as a secularist, rationalist, and humanist, had led a historic struggle to democratize access to knowledge in colonial India. At a time when lower caste communities and women were barred from education, Vidyasagar established more than 35 girls’ schools, personally travelling from village to village to empower the oppressed.

“No society can progress without education,”
was a principle Vidyasagar upheld throughout his life.

He modernized India’s education by introducing sciences, mathematics, logic, and English, preparing a generation that would later resist British colonial rule.

AIDSO Condemns School Closures and Privatisation

Today, AIDSO warns, the country is witnessing a reversal of Vidyasagar’s vision, as government schools are being shut down, making education increasingly inaccessible to the economically weaker sections.

“To sympathise is good, but to fight for a solution is better.”
quoted AIDSO, echoing Vidyasagar’s words in their appeal to students and teachers to take action against the privatisation of education.

AIDSO reiterated its commitment to build a nationwide movement to protect public education, ensure equal learning opportunities for all, and resist any policies that widen the educational divide.