Visva-Bharati 'changes exam schedule' to accommodate test conducted by RSS wing

KOLKATA: A controversy has broken out after a few semester examinations of Visva-Bharati university have allegedly been adjusted to accommodate an all-India test conducted by a wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in January next year.

A member of the Visva Bharati University Faculty Association on Monday said that the central university departments were asked to revise exam schedules so that the Bharat Boudh IKS exam of an "external organisation" can be held on January 31, 2026. This has affected the previously planned schedule of internal semester exams, the senior faculty member said.

Visva-Bharati spokesperson Atig Ghosh said that the university is not cancelling any semester examination, "but some internal scheduling around those dates may need to be adjusted."

In a notification on December 11, the university said, "The concerned Departments/Centres/Bhavanas shall ensure that no UG/PG semester end examination will be held from January 29, 2026 to February 2, 2026. In case it has already been notified that some examination(s) would be held in the aforesaid period, such examination(s) shall be rescheduled excluding the period and notified accordingly."

The notification mentioned that this was required due to Bharat Boudh IKS examination on January 31.

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"Bharat Boudh IKS is a transformative educational project of Vidya Bharati Uchcha Shiksha Sansthan, aimed at reconnecting youth with Bharatiya Knowledge Systems (BKS) through structured examinations, cultural integration, and modern applications. It seeks to ignite pride, curiosity, and wisdom rooted in Bharat's rich intellectual traditions," according to the website of the exam organisers.

Vidya Bharati is the educational wing of the RSS. The development generated debate among faculty and other stakeholders why adjustments are being made for an external exam.

The university earlier scheduled that internal semester exams of different departments will be held from January 7 to February 10. However, following this development, the departments will have to tweak their exam dates if it clashed with the Bharat Boudh tests.

"We are a central university and the Bharat Boudh exams are taking place across the country with Visva-Bharati being just one of the centres. Many exams are held nationwide with higher education institutions chosen as centres. That has nothing to do with the academic schedule of the respective institute," Ghosh explained.