BJP MP Anurag Thakur attended the centenary celebrations of DAV College, Hoshiarpur, in Punjab on Sunday, 14 June 2026, where he spoke as an alumnus and drew a direct parallel between the institution's founding philosophy and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Context

Addressing the gathering, Thakur said the educational vision of DAV — rooted in the synthesis of Vedic values and modern learning — and the core spirit of NEP-2020 share an identical purpose: building an education system that fosters patriotism, personality development, and pride in Indian culture among students. In his words, 'दोनों का उद्देश्य ऐसी शिक्षा व्यवस्था का निर्माण करना है' ('the objective of both is to build such an education system') that instils national pride and cultural consciousness.

Thakur also noted that DAV, which began as a small hostel, has grown into one of India's prestigious higher-education institutions, with students across five generations — spanning from 1926 to the present — contributing to society and nation-building.

Policy Backdrop

NEP-2020 replaced the National Policy on Education, 1986, and is the first statutory national framework to explicitly mandate the integration of Indian knowledge systems across curricula, alongside a multidisciplinary approach to higher education. The policy's emphasis on holistic development and cultural rootedness echoes the founding principles of the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic (DAV) movement, which emerged from the Arya Samaj in the late 19th century.

The alignment Thakur draws is not merely rhetorical: both frameworks prioritise character formation alongside academic achievement, positioning educational institutions as vehicles for civilisational continuity as much as skill development.

Stakeholders and Impact

The DAV network is one of India's largest non-governmental educational chains, serving millions of students from primary to postgraduate levels. The centenary of DAV College, Hoshiarpur marks a significant milestone for an institution that has educated generations of students from Punjab and neighbouring states.

For higher-education stakeholders, Thakur's remarks underscore the government's intent to anchor NEP-2020 implementation within a broader narrative of cultural pride — a framing that carries weight in affiliated colleges navigating the transition from older curricula to the new National Curriculum Framework.

What's Next

State-level implementation guidelines for NEP-2020 in affiliated colleges remain a key policy frontier, as does the rollout of the new National Curriculum Framework across institutions like DAV. Parliamentary discussions on the framework's progress are expected to intensify as more universities complete their transition timelines. Thakur's continued engagement with educational institutions signals that the political messaging around NEP-2020 will remain active well beyond its initial announcement.