TEACHINGS OF SANKARADEVA AND NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY 2020: A COMPARATIVE STUDY IN THE LIGHT OF ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Sankaradeva was not only a religious leader or social reformer but also the finest educationist, history has ever produced. In his efforts to reform medieval Assamese society and to remove social evils like caste-class distinction, gender inequality, religious exploitation, animal-human sacrifices in the name of religion etc, he took the responsibility of educating the illiterate mass of the north-eastern region of India then known as Asama, Kāmarūpa and Behāra. He knew that education is one of the best tools to fight the social evils and he used it as an equaliser against social hierarchy. He already earned fame as a skilled carpenter, weaver, instrument maker, painter, singer, actor, poet, litterateur, and an expert in the field of agriculture. Ethics constituted the main component of His teaching. His system of education catered to the aim of all round development of the individual as well as the society. Thus, He stood as a teacher of the entire society. He helped the people acquire knowledge of the scriptures as well as of behavioural science. As a means of generating income and as an expression of his art, Sankaradeva taught the masses how to develop skills and also imparted vocational education. Its interesting to note that the current educational system places a strong emphasis on vocational training and skill development. This paper tries to find out the educational components of Sankaradevas Neo-Vaiṣṇavism and how they compare to National Education Policy 2020, particularly in terms of skill development initiatives.