Ramakrishna Mission’s Awakening Programme

• 16 Sep 2022

For Prelims: Ramakrishna Mission’s ‘Awakening’ Programme, Central Board of Secondary education (CBSE), Swami Vivekananda.

For Mains: Significance of the teachings of Swami Vivekanand.

Why in News?

Recently, the Union Minister for Education launched Ramakrishna Mission’s ‘Awakening’ Programme for school students.

What do we know about the Awakening Programme?

• About:
  • It is an initiative towards ensuring overall personality development of a child in line with the philosophy of National Education Policy (NEP), 2020.
  • It is for the students of classes I to V.
• Background:
  • Ramakrishna Mission, Delhi branch, from 2014 onwards, has been successfully conducting the Awakened Citizen Program (ACP) for middle school students to enable them to build “ATMASHRADDHA” (Self-esteem) and make responsible choices. It helps them to find solutions for all problems of life.
  • There has been a demand from educationists for a similar program for Primary school students.
    • In response to this, ‘Awakening’ has been designed and piloted across 126 schools.
• Need:
  • Social transformation is one of the key goals of education.
  • Values and wisdom are more important than material wealth.
  • Value-based education is important for building a future-ready and socially conscious generation.

What do we Know about Ramakrishna Mission?

• About:
  • Ramakrishna Mission carries out extensive educational and philanthropic work and expounds a modern version of Advaita Vedanta—a school of Indian philosophy.
  • The society was founded near Kolkata by Vivekananda in 1897 with a twofold purpose: to spread the teachings of Vedanta as embodied in the life of the saint Ramakrishna (1836–86) and to improve the social conditions of the Indian people.
  • The organizations were brought into existence by Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886), the great 19th-century saint from Bengal who is regarded as the Prophet of the Modern Age, and Sri Ramakrishna’s chief disciple, Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902).
• Motto: “ATMANO MOKSHARTHAM JAGAD HITAYA CHA” (“For one’s own salvation and for the welfare of the world”).

What do we know about Swami Vivekanand?

• Birth:
  • He was born as Narendranath Datta on 12^th January 1863.
  • National Youth Day is held every year to observe the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
  • In 1893, upon the request of Maharaja Ajit Singh of the Khetri State, he took the name ‘Vivekananda.’
• Contributions:
  • Introduced the world to the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga.
    • He preached ‘neo-Vedanta’, an interpretation of Hinduism through a Western lens, and believed in combining spirituality with material progress.
  • Laid the greatest emphasis on education for the regeneration of our motherland. Advocated a man-making character-building education.
  • Best known for his speech at the World Parliament of Religion in Chicago in 1893.
  • Spelt out the four pathways of attaining moksha from the worldly pleasure and attachment in his books - Raja-yoga, Karma-yoga, Jnana-yoga and Bhakti-yoga.
  • Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had called Vivekananda the “maker of modern India.”
• Associated Organisations:
  • He was the chief disciple of the 19th-century mystic Ramakrishna Paramhansa and established the Ramakrishna Mission in 1897.
  • In 1899, he established Belur Math, which became his permanent abode.
• Nationalism
  • Though growth of Nationalism is attributed to Western influence but Swami Vivekananda’s nationalism is deeply rooted in Indian spirituality and morality.
  • His nationalism is based on Humanism and Universalism, the two cardinal features of Indian spiritual culture.
  • Unlike western nationalism which is secular in nature, Swami Vivekananda’s nationalism is based on religion which is life blood of the Indian people.
  • The basis of his nationalism are:
    • Deep concern for masses, freedom and equality through which one expresses self, spiritual integration of the world on the basis of universal brotherhood.
    • “Karmyoga” is a system of ethics to attain freedom both political and spiritual through selfless service.
  • His writings and speeches established motherland as the only deity to be worshipped in the mind and heart of countrymen.
• Death:
  • He died at Belur Math in 1902. Belur Math, located in West Bengal, is the headquarters of Ramakrishna Math & Ramakrishna Mission

Source: PIB