Banaras Hindu University (BHU), one of the premier universities in the country, is starting a three-month course which will equip women students to become “aadarsh bahu” (ideal daughter-in-law).
Yes, you read that right. The genius idea has been conceived by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at BHU. IIT (BHU) is “an Institute of national importance” created in 2012. Other courses offered at the institute include biochemical engineering, metallurgic engineering, and ironically, gender studies.
According to a News18 report, this one-of-a-kind course has been designed keeping in mind the ‘increasing issues in our society.’ The solution to societal issues, in BHU’s handbook, is to train women for married life. Now, if only the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) takes lead and implements such courses all over India, the country’s social ills will be gone in no time.
It is believed that the course will help increase students’ self confidence, and will also aid their ‘socialisation’. It has been designed in partnership with a private institution, presumably because world changing ideas are steered by the private sector. The course has been started under a programme titled “Daughter’s Pride – Beti Mera Abhiyaan.”
The course takers will also get to learn fashion, problem solving skills and ‘marriage skills.’ Since the course aims to prepare women for married life in Indian society, topics such as ‘self-defence’ and ‘stress handling’ have also been included in the module.
BHU will soon start the process for selecting a few bright and lucky women students for the course.
There are no reports of a similar course being prepared for male students. Incidentally, BHU is located in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency.