Dr Vikas Divyakirti is one of the most popular teachers in the country.
New Delhi: Vikas Divyakirti, one of the country's foremost IAS coaches, has courted controversy after one of his numerous educational videos went viral for the wrong reasons. The video shows Divyakirti quoting from a book a paragraph wherein Lord Rama compares Goddess Sita with "ghee licked by a dog". Who is Vikas Divyakirti? Why is he so famous? How did he find himself in the midst of such a controversy?
Dr Vikas Divyakirti is one of the most popular teachers in the country. He runs a Delhi-based IAS coaching center called Drishti IAS. He is massively popular on social media. He has over 10 million subscribers on his YouTube channels and gets millions of views daily on his recorded lectures.
Divyakirit's team uploads these lectures on YouTube. He talks about literature, science, philosophy, religion, geopolitics and civil service examinations.
Divyakirti was born in 1973 in a middle-class house. Both his parents were Hindi professors. He has a great command over the Hindi language. He has completed his MA, M Phil, and PhD in Hindi literature. He started his teaching career at Delhi University.
In 1996, he cracked the IAS exam, one of the toughest academic competitions in the world. He did so in his first attempt, which is a rare feat.
He was appointed to the Department of Home Affairs. However, within a year, he felt his calling was teaching. Hence, he quit the prestigious Indian Administrative Service.
In 1999, he started Drishti IAS classes in Delhi, which is one of the most famous IAS coaching institutes in the country. Several of his students are IAS, IPS, and IFS officers.
What's the controversy?
Divyakirti published a viral video in 2018-19 in which he read a passage from a book. The clip was shared earlier this week by RSS leader Sadhvi Prachi. He said Lord Rama told Sita, "Hey Sita if you think I fought this war (against Demon King Ravana) for you, you are clearly mistaken. I have fought this war for the honour of my family name and ancestors. As far as you are concerned, as ghee licked by a dog can't be consumed, you are not worthy of me".
Thousands of social media users have slammed the teacher for reading the passage. On the other hand, those supporting him said he was quoted out of context.
Issuing a clarification on the controversy, Divyakirti told The Lallantop that he is as much Hindu as those targetting him on social media. He said the video was released in 2018 or 2019. He also said because of the controversy, his family was scared for his safety.
He said he was quoting from the book Varchasva Evam Pratirodh, written by a former JNU professor and UPSC member, Purushottam Agarwal. He said it was not him who made the remark.
He said the writer referred to Uttar Ramayana.
Some social media users, meanwhile, are upset with the way the passage was read. They have raised objections that students were laughing when he was reading the above remark. Many have demanded a complaint against him for hurting their religious sentiments.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Dr Vikas Divyakirti")
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}