# Bhakti movement missing from NEP 2020 curriculum, Varma argues 2026-08-09T03:48:11+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The National Education Policy 2020 seeks to root education in Indian ethos, but author and former diplomat Pavan K Varma argues it fails to teach the Bhakti movement as an integrated reform movement. He points to figures like Mahadevi Akka, Basavanna, and Namadeva who defied caste hierarchies and ritualistic purity through devotional hymns. Varma says students learn individual saints such as Kabir and Tulsidas but miss the pan-Indian reawakening that lasted over six centuries. He warns that such civilisational amnesia is unforgivable and calls for impartially reconfigured textbooks to show the Bhakti movement's role in reforming Hinduism and blending with Sufism. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Tags: Bhakti movement, caste system, education reform, Indian civilisational heritage, NEP 2020, spiritual reform Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bhakti-movement-missing-from-nep-2020-curriculum-varma-argues/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bhakti-movement-missing-from-nep-2020-curriculum-varma-argues/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.