NCERT’s special module on ‘Swadeshi’ for students echoes PM Modi’s call for self-reliance

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has introduced two classroom modules that reframe Swadeshi for a new generation, tracing its arc from a freedom-era boycott to a 21st-century blueprint for resilient, homegrown innovation. The releases align with the prime minister’s recent emphasis on making self-reliance the foundation of a developed India, and his call for schools to champion local products and solutions as part of everyday learning.

Designed for different age groups, the modules—“Swadeshi: Vocal for Local” (middle stage) and “Swadeshi: For a Self-Reliant India” (secondary stage)—blend history with contemporary policy and technology. They encourage teachers and students to become active ambassadors of locally made goods and services, while situating this effort within national initiatives such as Make in India, Startup India, Digital India, Vocal for Local and Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

From boycott to building

Swadeshi is presented not only as a rejection of imports during colonial rule but also as a constructive movement that seeded Indian industry. The materials revisit 1905, when the partition of Bengal and the flooding of markets with cheap British goods spurred organized resistance and a pivot toward Indian manufacturing. Early enterprises like Bengal Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works (1901) and Tata Iron and Steel Company (1907) are cited as emblematic of that shift from protest to production.

The modules also acknowledge that the roots of Swadeshi stretch deeper than 1905, noting calls by community leaders and historians to recognize mid-19th-century efforts—such as those linked to the Namdhari movement under Baba Ram Singh—as part of the broader tapestry of self-reliance.

Values for a technology-driven era

Moving beyond the past, the curriculum underscores how Swadeshi translates to present-day priorities: a strong domestic manufacturing base, trust in Indian brands, and the capability to compete globally. It highlights achievements in fields such as space, health and defense, and revisits the ideas of leaders who advocated self-sufficiency as a means to educational renewal and social resilience.

The modules also speak directly to the digital economy. Artificial intelligence is framed as a strategic domain where local development can safeguard data, reflect India’s linguistic diversity, and solve sector-specific challenges in agriculture and governance. Students are introduced to the idea that “digital Swadeshi” means building tools that are designed in India for India—without isolating the country from global knowledge flows.

Local strength, global confidence

To illustrate how trust is built, the modules point to examples where Indian capability already commands respect: dairy cooperatives transforming the rural economy, space missions showcasing world-class engineering, and the global appeal of traditional wellness systems. The goal, they argue, is an economy that exports more than it imports, drawing strength from domestic ecosystems while meeting international standards.

Swadeshi through a green lens

Seen from an ecological and energy perspective, Swadeshi dovetails with the urgency of decarbonization. Shorter supply chains and local manufacturing reduce transport-related emissions, while homegrown clean-tech industries cut dependence on volatile global markets. For schools and communities, this ethos can translate into tangible initiatives:

• Scaling domestic production of solar cells and modules, power electronics and energy storage to power homes, schools and health centers.
• Building circular systems—repair, reuse and recycling—for electronics and batteries to curb e-waste and mineral pressures.
• Supporting climate-smart agriculture: indigenous seeds, water-efficient irrigation, and local agro-processing that raises farm incomes and cuts food miles.
• Strengthening grid resilience with decentralized renewables and smart systems that reflect local conditions and skills.

This environmental framing is not an add-on; it reinforces the economic case. Cleaner, local manufacturing reduces vulnerability to supply shocks, lowers import bills for critical technologies and creates skilled jobs that are rooted in place.

Learning from the world, building at home

The modules reference international experiences—such as Vietnam’s manufacturing depth and Israel’s innovation-led security and technology sectors—to show how strategic self-reliance can be compatible with global engagement. The lesson they draw is clear: combine scale with invention, local capability with global markets, and national priorities with international collaboration.

Classroom to community

Educators are encouraged to turn Swadeshi into lived practice. Suggested activities include campus audits of imported versus local products, repair-and-reuse festivals, rooftop solar projects, seed libraries, coding clubs that build tools for Indian languages and agriculture, and student-led campaigns that connect local artisans to digital marketplaces. The emphasis is on making “vocal for local” measurable—tracking impact on livelihoods, emissions and learning outcomes.

From 1905 to 2025: a living idea

A century ago, Swadeshi rallied people against colonial exploitation. Today, it is framed as a strategy for technological confidence, economic inclusion and climate resilience. By linking history to the green and digital transitions, NCERT’s modules position self-reliance not as isolation but as a base for fairer trade, innovation and sustainability. The homework, in effect, is collective: build Indian capacity that stands tall at home and competes responsibly abroad, ensuring that the path to a developed India is also low-carbon, equitable and future-ready.