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NEW DELHI: The NCERT has rolled out special classroom modules on ‘swadeshi’, tracing its roots from 1905 anti-partition agitation in Bengal to PM Narendra Modi’s call for a self-reliant India.The publications, ‘Swadeshi: Vocal for Local’ (for middle stage) and ‘Swadeshi: For a Self-Reliant India’ (for secondary stage), revisits the historic movement that urged Indians to shun imported British goods and connects it with govt’s contemporary programmes such as ‘Make-in-India’, ‘Startup India’, ‘Digital India’, ‘Vocal for Local’, & ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.The modules cite the PM’s Independence Day address this year, where he described ‘self-reliant Bharat’ as the bedrock of a developed India. They also include his recent interactions with national awardee teachers, where he quipped that while teachers usually assign homework to students, he wished to reverse roles and give teachers “one homework” — to mobilise campaigns with students promoting ‘swadeshi’ products, in line with ‘Make-in-India’ and ‘Vocal for Local’.“The ‘Swadeshi’ movement began during India’s freedom struggle when the British divided Bengal in 1905… ‘Swadeshi’ was not just about boycott but also about creating Indian alternatives such as Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works (1901, Prafulla Chandra Ray) and Tata Iron and Steel Company (1907, Jamsetji Tata),” one module explains.“In 1905, it gave strength to fight colonial exploitation. In 2025, it guides us towards ‘Atmanirbharta’ in a globalised, technology-driven world,” the modules notes, urging research-driven innovation and robust domestic industries in semiconductors, renewable energy, agriculture and AI. Significantly, the texts also introduce a contemporary twist by placing AI at the heart of modern ‘swadeshi’.NCERT underscores that ‘swadeshi’ today is not just a relic of history but a framework for navigating global uncertainties and positioning India as a leading economy.
