NCERT launches Swadeshi modules inspired by PM Modi’s call for self-reliance

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released special modules on Swadeshi, a theme that has featured prominently in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speeches.

Two modules — Swadeshi: Vocal for Local (for middle stage) and Swadeshi: For a Self-Reliant India (for secondary stage) — carry excerpts from the Prime Minister’s Independence Day address in which he stressed that self-reliance would drive India’s journey towards Viksit Bharat.

The modules highlight India’s achievements in space, defence and health through self-reliance. They recall the Prime Minister’s call to citizens and shopkeepers to champion Indian-made goods under the Vocal for Local initiative, underscoring that Swadeshi should emerge from pride and strength, not compulsion.

Tracing history, the books recall the Swadeshi Movement launched on August 7, 1905, at the Calcutta Town Hall in Bengal. “The Swadeshi Movement was a crucial campaign in the Indian independence struggle that advocated the use of Indian-made goods and the boycott of British products. Initiated in response to British policies, it aimed to promote self-reliance and economic independence. Bal Gangadhar Tilak encouraged the movement after the partition of Bengal,” the modules note.

They also cite example of Mahatma Gandhi, who had advocated Swadeshi in education, and Rabindranath Tagore, who viewed Swadeshi as the real test of freedom — the ability of a nation to develop, innovate and produce on its own.

Looking ahead, the modules argue that Swadeshi can strengthen India’s manufacturing base through Make in India and build global trust in Indian brands — citing Amul in dairy, ISRO in space and Ayurveda in wellness. “India can export more than it imports, earning wealth and respect globally. When India combines self-reliance at home with global competitiveness abroad, it can emerge as one of the world’s leading economies,” the secondary module states.

The books also cite Vietnam and Israel as examples of the power of strategic self-reliance. “In 1905, it gave strength to fight colonial exploitation. In 2025, it guides us towards Atmanirbharta in a globalised, technology-driven world. We need research that fuels innovation, and strong local industries — from semiconductors and artificial intelligence to renewable energy and agriculture — that can withstand global uncertainties,” it adds.

The modules further note that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 promotes an entrepreneurial mindset from school onwards.