The Prime Minister urged a 10-year national pledge to dismantle the “colonial mindset” implanted through Macaulay’s 1835 educational reforms and reinforced through institutional, cultural and epistemic structures over nearly two centuries.

10-Year National Pledge (2025–2035) 

• Break the Colonial Inferiority Complex: Address deep-rooted biases that treat Western models as superior in education, governance, culture and lifestyle.
• Restore Civilisational Confidence: Promote pride in India’s heritage, languages and cultural knowledge so that Indian identity becomes a source of strength, not embarrassment.
• Rebuild Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS): Integrate India’s classical sciences, philosophy, arts, mathematics, and medicine into mainstream education and research.
• Create a Self-Reliant Economic Model: Strengthen Atmanirbhar Bharat through PLI, digital public infrastructure and indigenous manufacturing to reduce dependence on foreign value chains.
• Reorient Governance & Politics: Replace election-centric thinking with a duty-led approach, what the PM calls it as “Emotion Mode 24×7”. This signifies constant, citizen-first public service.

Elements of Colonial Mindset in India

• Language Dominance & Linguistic Hierarchy

• • English-Centric Education and Power: Macaulay’s 1835 Minute imposed English as the medium for administration and education.
    • English dominates judiciary, elite academia, corporate leadership and civil services.
  • Prestige Hierarchy: English-medium schooling associated with privilege, while vernacular-medium students face structural disadvantages.
  • Epistemic Dependence: Major research, textbooks, legal provisions, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) content available overwhelmingly in English
• Cultural Devaluation & Civilisational Insecurity
  • Internalised Inferiority: Colonial education created a perception that (Western culture = Progress), and (Indian traditions = Backwardness)
    • For Example: Adoption of Western dress codes in workplaces (suits/ties in tropical climates) persists despite the unsuitability of such clothing in Indian weather, an inheritance of colonial administrative norms.
  • Heritage Neglect: Many temples, forts and monuments treated as ruins rather than cultural-economic assets.
    • For Example: Historic stepwells in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi (e.g., Agrasen ki Baoli before refurbishment) remained neglected for decades despite architectural importance.
  • Tourism and Cultural Disconnect: India under-utilised its civilisational heritage compared to Japan, Italy, Thailand.
    • India’s Underutilisation: India has 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but heritage-focused tourism remained limited due to poor infrastructure, lack of interpretation centres, and underinvestment.
    • Japan: Presents samurai culture, Shinto shrines, Edo-period architecture with pride. Kyoto attracts millions of tourists annually
    • Italy: Rome, Florence, Venice built a global tourism economy by restoring and marketing Roman, Renaissance and Catholic heritage. Italy earns billions annually from cultural tourism.
    • Thailand: Positioning Buddhist temples as national identity helped Bangkok and Chiang Mai become global tourist magnets.
• Laws & Institutions Rooted in Colonial Structures
  • Colonial Legal Foundations (Historical): Indian Penal Code (IPC) 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) 1973 (Colonial-origin Framework), Evidence Act 1872 shaped policing and justice for 150+ years.
  • Colonial Ethos in Bureaucracy: Hierarchical, command-control approach and  low citizen-centric service orientation.
  • Police Culture: Emphasis on control, coercion, record-keeping, not the primary focus of community service.
• Economic & Development Imagination
  • Western-Centric Growth Metrics: Development viewed through Western notions of GDP, urban modernity and industrialisation.
    • For Example: GDP-focused planning in early Five-Year Plans (1951–1970s) emphasised heavy industry and steel production modeled on Soviet/Western industrial frameworks, while neglecting traditional sectors like handlooms, village industries, Ayurveda, and local crafts
  • Low-Value Role in Global Value Chains: Colonial raw-material supplier role persisted for decades post-independence.
  • Consumption-Based Western Imitation: Aspirational lifestyle trends shaped by Western consumer culture.
    • For Example: Rapid expansion of Western fast-food chains (McDonald’s, KFC, Domino’s) in urban India since the 1990s, becoming aspirational lifestyle symbols for youth, often replacing local street food and traditional eateries.
• Knowledge Systems & Epistemic Coloniality
  • Suppression of Indigenous Knowledge: Ayurveda, classical mathematics, astronomy, Nyaya logic, political theory (Arthashastra) were sidelined.
  • Western Validation Bias: Quality of research judged through Western journals and theoretical frameworks.
• Societal Aspirations & Institutional Culture
  • Imported Ideologies: Left–Right binaries, European political philosophies dominate Indian discourse.
    • For Example: Debates on “Left vs. Right” in Indian politics mirror Western ideological lenses rather than indigenous categories like dharma–adharma, lokasangraha, sarvodaya, nyaya, or community-centric governance described by Gandhi, Ambedkar, or Aurobindo.
  • Elite Anglicisation: English-speaking elites shape academia, judiciary, bureaucracy and media.
    • For Example: Supreme Court judgments and proceedings largely in English, creating a practical monopoly of English-educated lawyers and limiting direct accessibility for ordinary citizens.
• Constitutional & Rights-Based Colonial Hangovers
• • Retention of Coercive Provisions: Sedition-like provisions, preventive detention, colonial policing practices.
    • For Example: Preventive detention laws like National Security Act (NSA) mirror colonial logic of pre-emptive state control.
  • Procedural Complexity: Legal language and court processes inaccessible to ordinary citizens.
• Technology, AI & Cognitive Dependence
• • Language-Asymmetry in Tech: AI models, datasets, search engines built around English, limiting Indian-language inclusion.
  • Dependence on Western Platforms: Digital ecosystems previously shaped by foreign tech monopolies.
    • For Example: Visa/Mastercard controlled India’s digital payments market before UPI disrupted it.
    • Amazon and Flipkart (Walmart-owned) shaped e-commerce algorithms, seller visibility and pricing.

Corrective Measures 

• Legal & Institutional Reforms
  • New Criminal Laws (From 1 July 2024):
    • Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) which replaces IPC.
    • Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) which replaces CrPC.
    • Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) which replaces Evidence Act.
  • Improving Policing & Process:
    • Mandatory forensics for serious crimes; Digital FIRs; Stronger victim-centric processes.
    • Community awareness drives: “Police ki Pathshala”.
• Educational & Linguistic Reform
  • National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 & National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2023: Mother-tongue based foundational learning and multilingualism.
  • CBSE 2025–26 Directive: CBSE has mandated that its affiliated schools use the mother tongue or a familiar regional language as the primary medium of instruction for early grades (Foundational and Preparatory Stages)
  • Expansion of Indian-Language Higher Education: All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) promotes the translation of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematic), law, and technical textbooks into Indian languages through the AICTE Technical Book Writing and Translation Scheme and the use of its Anuvadini AI tool
• Cultural Revival & Heritage-Led Development
  • Heritage Projects:
    • Kashi Vishwanath Corridor transformed a congested temple area into a vibrant cultural space attracting millions annually.
    • Mahakal Lok Corridor (Ujjain) turned a neglected area into a major spiritual tourism hub.
    • Restoration of Qutub Shahi Tombs (Hyderabad) and Ladakh’s Zanskar monasteries show rising interest in heritage conservation.
  • Revival of Indian Arts & Systems: Support for classical arts, Sanskrit institutions, Ayurveda and Yoga research.
    • Yoga Research: International Day of Yoga (UN), new Yoga certification boards, and scientific studies on Yoga for mental health and lifestyle diseases through AYUSH and AIIMS collaborations.
    • Ayurveda: Establishment of the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), integrative medicine centres, and global promotion of Ayurveda wellness tourism.
  • Other Example: Sengol in the New Parliament Building symbolises India’s democratic and historical legacy.
  • Renaming Rajpath (which is a symbol of colonial rulership) to Kartavya Path. This emphasises duty over entitlement.
• Economic Reorientation
  • PLI Schemes: Boosting domestic electronics, semiconductors, aviation, pharma, textiles.
    • For Example: Incentives for production across 14 sectors (electronics, semiconductors, pharma, solar, textiles).
  • Atmanirbhar Bharat: Reducing import dependence; strengthening domestic innovation.
  • Digital Public Infrastructure: India Stack (UPI, Aadhaar, DigiLocker, ONDC) exported as global models.
    • India Stack: UPI, Aadhaar, DigiLocker, eKYC, FASTag, and ONDC—creates an open, interoperable digital architecture that is unmatched globally.
• Knowledge System Revival
  • IKS (Indian Knowledge Systems) Cells: Integration of traditional Indian sciences, philosophy and technologies.
  • Global Cultural Diplomacy: International Day of Yoga, Ayurveda tourism, Buddhist diplomacy.
• Technology & Digital Sovereignty
  • Indian-Language AI Mission: Bhashini for multilingual datasets; India-specific AI models.
    • Bhashini Mission: It is creating large multilingual datasets and tools for Indian languages to ensure AI systems work as well in Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, etc. as they do in English.
  • Open Digital Ecosystems: ONDC to challenge digital monopolies and empower small Indian retailers.
    • ONDC democratizes e-commerce by giving small sellers platform access without dependence on Amazon/Flipkart-like monopolies.

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Way Forward – Cognitive Decolonisation

• Deepening Linguistic Decolonisation
  • Make Indian Languages Equal to English in All Domains: Expand local-language courts, administrative orders, and Parliament proceedings.
    • Scale high-quality STEM and medical content in Indian languages.
• Reviving Indian Knowledge Systems
  • Curriculum-Level Integration: Incorporate Indian logic, astronomy, political thought, ecology, mathematics into higher education.
  • Institutional Research: Establish global centres for Indian epistemology, Ayurveda, Yoga, performing arts and Sanskrit.
    
• Transforming Legal & Administrative Culture
  • Beyond Replacing Laws: Reform policing ethos from “force of control” to “service institution”.
    • Simplify legal procedures; Expand legal aid; Ensure local-language access.
  • Citizen-Centric Bureaucracy: Shift from secrecy/authority to transparency, digital service delivery and participatory governance.
• Behavioural & Psychological Shift
  • Ending “Western = Superior” Mindset: Public campaigns and education centred on indigenous achievements.
  • Promote Balanced Cosmopolitanism: Open to global knowledge but rooted in Indian identity.
  • Media as Ethical Institution: Strengthen fearless, fact-based journalism inspired by Ramnath Goenka.
• Cultural Confidence & Civilisational Anchoring
  • From Imitation to Rooted Modernity: Encourage Indian civilisational symbols, festivals, architecture, food systems.
• Deepening Constitutional Decolonisation
  • Remove Residual Coercive Provisions: Review preventive detention and sedition-like sections under new codes.
  • Rights in Local Languages: Citizens must be able to comprehend and fully aware about their rights without English-language barriers.
• Economic & Strategic Decolonisation
  • Innovation-Led Self-Reliance: Indigenous R&D in defence, aviation, deep-tech, biotechnology.
  • Reform Global Value Chain Role: Move from assembly to design-led value creation.
  • Sovereign Technology Stack: Indigenous chip design, cloud services, AI platforms.
• Global Leadership Through Indigenous Modernity
  • India as an “Emerging Model”, Not Emerging Market: Democracy, DPI, multiculturalism, civilisational diplomacy as Indian alternatives to Western/Chinese models.
  • South–South Knowledge Sharing: Export India Stack, health platforms, language-tech tools, heritage conservation frameworks.

Conclusion 

Cognitive decolonisation is not a rejection of the world, but India’s effort to engage with it on the strength of its own language, heritage, knowledge systems and democratic confidence.

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