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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian politician}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2013}}<br />
{{Infobox officeholder<br />
| name = Vasudev Devnani<br />
| image = <br />
| caption = <br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1950|1|11}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Ajmer]]<br />
| residence = [[Ajmer]]<br />
| death_date =<br />
| death_place = <br />
| constituency1 = [[Ajmer (Rajasthan Assembly constituency)|Ajmer]]<br />
| office2 = State Minister for Education, [[Government of Rajasthan]]<br />
| term_start2 = {{start date|df=y|2003|12|9}}<br />
| term_end2 = {{end date|df=y|2008|12|10}}<br />
| <br />
| party = [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]<br />
| spouse = Indira Devnani<br />
| office1 = State Minister for School Education Independent Charge [[Government of Rajasthan]]<br />
| term_start1 = {{start date|df=y|2014|10|28}}<br />
| term_end1 = {{end date|df=y|2018|12|11}}<br />
| <br />
| relatives = <br />
| website =<br />
| footnotes =<br />
| date =<br />
| year =<br />
| source =<br />
}}<br />
'''Vasudev Devnani''' is an Indian politician from [[Rajasthan]] belonging to the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]]. He was the Minister of State for School Education Independent Charge Government of Rajasthan, serving as its "RSS face," after the [[Hindutva|Hindu nationalist]] organisation [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS) of which he is a member.<br />
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== Life and career ==<br />
Vasudev Devnani was born in [[Ajmer]] on 11 January 1950. He received [[B.E.]] degree in Electrical Engineering from one of the finest and oldest colleges, MBM Engineering college, Jodhpur. After that he went on to an academic career, eventually becoming the Dean of Vidhya Bhawan Polytechnic College in [[Udaipur]].<ref name=sindhuworld/><br />
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He is married to Indira Devnani, a retired school teacher. The couple have one son and two daughters.<ref name=sindhuworld>[http://www.thesindhuworld.com/vasudev_devnani.html Famous Sindhi Educationist & Politician: Prof. Vasudev Devnani], Sundu World, retrieved 2015-04-05.</ref><br />
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== Political career ==<br />
Devnani joined the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS) at a young age and later its student wing [[Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad]] (ABVP), serving as the Rajasthan state president of the latter for nine years. Subsequently, he joined the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] (BJP).<ref name=sindhuworld/><br />
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Devnani was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan from the [[Ajmer North (Rajasthan Assebly constituency)|Ajmer North]] constituency in [[2003 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election|2003]], obtaining 45% of the total votes.<ref name=sindhuworld/> He was elected again in [[2008 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election|2008]] and [[2013 Rajasthan Legislative Assembly election|2013]].<ref name=assembly>[http://rajassembly.nic.in/MembersPage.asp?DivNo=157 My Bio-data: Vasudev Devnani], Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, retrieved 2015-04-05.</ref><br />
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He was a Minister of State for technical education in the Ministry of [[Vasundhara Raje]] in [[Vasundhara Raje ministry (2003–08)|2003-08]]. He was a Minister of State with an independent charge for primary and secondary education in the Ministry of [[Vasundhara Raje]] in [[Vasundhara Raje ministry (2013–)|2013-18]].<ref name=sindhuworld/><ref name=council>[http://rajassembly.nic.in/cabinet.htm Rajasthan Government - Council of Ministers], Rajasthan Government, retrieved 2015-04-05.</ref><ref name=TOI>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Rajes-will-writ-large-on-expansion-detractors-cut-to-size/articleshow/44958288.cms Raje's will writ large on expansion, detractors cut to size], The Times of India, 28 October 2014.</ref><br />
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== Political and administrative views ==<br />
According to [[India Today]], he is striking a balance between modernity, essential reforms and the BJP agenda of Hindu culture-based education.<ref name="indiatoday">[http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/vasundhara-raje-rajasthan-vasudev-devnani-education/1/416969.html Who is this saffron but progressive face of Raje government], India Today, 4 February 2015.</ref> Among his [[saffronisation]] measures are celebrating [[Basant Panchami]] in schools, singing [[Saraswati Vandana Mantra|Saraswati vandana]] and performing [[Surya Namaskara|surya namaskar]] every day. He plans to introduce Rajasthan heroes such as [[Maharana Pratap]] in the school textbooks, correcting the alleged "anti-Hindu agenda" of the previous [[Indian National Congress|Congress]] government. 186 new Model Schools are being named after [[Vivekananda]]. Despite being the "RSS face" in the Vasundhara Raje government, India Today believed he was exhibiting great political and administrative skill in ensuring that the saffron moves do not overshadow the real task of improving the education system.<ref name=indiatoday/> However, his measures to introduce compulsory Saraswati puja and surya namaskar have invited opposition from the schools run by the [[Arya Samaj]], Muslim community and the Christian missionaries.<ref name=Saraswati>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Govt-and-private-schools-to-observe-Saraswati-puja-on-Basant-Panchami/articleshow/46001385.cms Govt and private schools to observe Saraswati puja on Basant Panchami], The Times of India, 24 January 2015.</ref><ref name=suryanamaskar>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Surya-namaskar-made-compulsory-in-48000-schools-Rajasthan/articleshow/46114163.cms Surya Namaskar made compulsory in 48,000 schools in Rajasthan], The Times of India, 4 February 2015.</ref><br />
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Devnani declared that the "Indian value system" would be introduced in schools from 2015-16. He called for a National Education Regulatory Board for the fast implementation of the Indian value system in schools nationwide.<ref name=yoga>[http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/Yoga-moral-science-to-be-taught-in-schools-from-next-year-Minister/articleshow/45938443.cms Yoga, moral science to be taught in schools from next year: Minister], The Times of India, 19 January 2015.</ref><br />
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In April 2015, Devnani hit the headlines with stories that reported that [[Isaac Newton]], [[Pythagoras]] and [[Akbar]] are being eliminated from the school textbooks.<ref name=indianexpress>[http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/akbar-newton-may-make-way-for-local-heroes-in-rajasthan-textbooks/ Akbar, Newton may make way for ‘local heroes’ in Rajasthan textbooks], Indian Express, 7 April 2015.</ref><ref name=firstpost>[http://www.firstpost.com/politics/rss-strikes-again-foreigners-isaac-newton-pythagoras-to-be-chucked-out-of-rajasthan-text-books-2187949.html RSS strikes again: 'Foreigners' Isaac Newton, Pythagoras to be chucked out of Rajasthan text books], Firstpost, 7 April 2015.</ref> "Why should our children only learn about Akbar, the Great? Why not Maharana Pratap, the Great?" he reportedly asked. "Our children are constantly learning about foreign rulers, mathematicians, scientists et al." These "foreign" scientists and intellectuals are being eliminated in favour of "local and national" heroes, [[Veer Savarkar]], [[Subhas Chandra Bose]], [[Bhagat Singh]], [[Maharaja Suraj Mal]], [[Aryabhata]] and [[Bhaskaracharya]].<ref name=indianexpress/><br />
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In March 2016, Devnani announced that "major changes" were being made in the school curriculum, by including the biographies of freedom fighters, so as to ensure that "no one like [[Kanhaiya Kumar]]" would be born again. In view of [[JNU sedition controversy|the events at the Jawaharlal Nehru University]], he said that it was necessary to inculcate a "feeling of patriotism" in the students.<ref>[http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/books-to-be-changed-so-that-no-one-like-kanhaiya-kumar-is-born-rajasthan-minister-1288390 http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/books-to-be-changed-so-that-no-one-like-kanhaiya-kumar-is-born-rajasthan-minister-1288390], NDTV News, 18 March 2016.</ref><ref>[[Kanhaiya Kumar]] is the JNU student union president, who was arrested on [[sedition]] charges over a controversial event where anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.</ref><br />
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== See also ==<br />
* [[Saffronisation]]<br />
* [[Dinanath Batra]]<br />
* [[Smriti Irani]]<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Devnani, Vasudev}}<br />
[[Category:1948 births]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:Members of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly]]<br />
[[Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Rajasthan]]<br />
[[Category:Rajasthani people]]<br />
[[Category:Rajasthan MLAs 2013–2018]]<br />
[[Category:Rajasthan MLAs 2003–2008]]<br />
[[Category:Rajasthan MLAs 2008–2013]]<br />
[[Category:Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh members]]<br />
[[Category:People from Ajmer]]</div>->FreeToDisagree