Agra: In an apparent bid to spread its ideology in schools, 10 lakh class IX and X students in Uttar Pradesh will be asked to sit for a test on the philosophy of the RSS and achievements of the Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath governments at the Centre and Lucknow. The BJP will celebrate the birth centenary year of Deendayal Upadhyaya by organising this competitive exam across the state on August 26. The questions will come from a specially-published booklet on the three subject matters.BJP state spokesperson Chandramohan said “The top 10 students in each district will be felicitated on September 25. The question paper will be based on the booklet which will be distributed at the time of registration for the examination between August 1 and 5. The booklet is being published at the moment.”According to sources, the booklet will be specifically designed to propagate the ideology of the RSS and BJP, and also the achievements of the party’s governments at the Centre and the state.Senior Samajwadi Party leader and former Union minister Ramji Lal Suman dubbed the move a ploy by the RSS and BJP to further their communal agenda. “Instead of adopting these diversionary tactics and spreading hatred, the government should pay attention to problems of the common man,” he said, adding that this would set a bad precedent.National secretary of the Congress, Vivek Bansal, said that the move was an attempt to “brainwash” an entire generation. “Unification is important rather than spreading a divisive ideology,” he added.According to sources, topics covered in the booklet include chapters on Deendayal Upadhyaya’s ideology, politics and social life, about cultural nationalism and ‘ekatm manavvad’ (integral humanism). Also, key decisions of the Modi government like GST, BHIM app, demonetisation, surgical strike by the Army, the ‘Start-Up India’ initiative and the Swachh Bharat mission and development schemes and key campaigns like anti-Romeo squads launched by the Adityanath government will be part of the booklet.This year, an eight-day fair and exhibitions will be organised at Nagla Chandrabhan village in Mathura, the birthplace of Upadhyaya. Earlier, it was for three days only, said deputy secretary of Deen Dayal Dham, Farah, Manish Gupta. He said that village is being developed as a tourist attraction and the tourism department has been asked to provide all facilities to visitors.Gupta told TOI that some RSS functionaries will inaugurate the events on September 18 and the closing ceremony is likely to be attended by chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

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