EDUCATION FOR NATION-BUILDING: SISTER NIVEDITA’S LEGACY

Abstract

Sister Nivedita came to India in response to the call from Swami Vivekananda with a purpose to spread education among the Indian women. She emphasized education as a means of empowerment and character development. She believed that education should not only impart knowledge but also cultivate a sense of social responsibility and patriotism. Her approach focused on fostering the spiritual and moral development of individuals, particularly women, to uplift society. She advocated for a holistic education that combined traditional Indian values with modern learning, aiming to create self-reliant and resilient individuals capable of contributing to nation-building. Nivedita felt the requirement of modernizing the existing education system in India. She understood that national level consciousness was the basic requirement of education in India. To confront the national problem, it was necessary to organise the common mass on the basis of single issue of nationalism in which education could be used as a means. Nivedita focused on the requirement of self-realisation of Indian students about their country’s past history. However, this article aims to analyse Sister Nivedita’s perspective on education as a tool for nation-building.