EMPOWERING MINDS TRANSFORMING LIVES
Sree Narayana Guru’s Philosophy of Education & Skill Development

Dr. Prakash Divakaran
Dr. Suresh Kumar Madhusudhanan

This book explores the timeless relevance of Sree Narayana Guru’s visionary thoughts on education and vocational learning. At a time when colonial India prior-itised clerical and literary education, Guru recognized far ahead of his era, the need for a holistic system that blended academic learning with scientific, technical and craft-based skills. His 1927 initiative, the Sivagiri Free Industrial & Agricultural Gurukula, stands as a remarkable example of this foresight-an institution planned to impart comprehensive skill training, long before vocational education became a national or global agenda.

Decades later, India officially integrated vocational training into its education framework only after the Kothari Commission’s recommendations of 1968, while globally, similar shifts emerged mid-20th century. Guru, however, envisioned this approach much earlier, not merely for employment, but for dignity, productivity, and societal transformation.

Grounded in equality, social justice and self-realisation, Guru’s philosophy posi-tions education as a tool for liberation, accessible to all, irrespective of caste on. background. His emphasis on dignity of labour, moral discipline and lifelong learn-ing reflects striking alignment with today’s global priorities: skill development, em-ployability and inclusive growth.

As India aspires to become the Skilling Capital of the World, this book highlights why Sree Narayana Guru’s educational principles are not just historical reflections, but a powerful blueprint for shaping a skilled, just, and compassionate society in the 21st century.

From the Authors of the Internationally Acclaimed

“HARMONY UNVEILED”