Degrees without dharma...: White-collar terrorism an alarming trend, Rajnath Singh warns

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, January 3, 2026: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh warned on Friday of an “alarming trend" of white-collar terrorism emerging across the country. Speaking at the 104th foundation day of Bhupal Nobles’ University in Udaipur, the minister expressed deep concern over the involvement of highly educated professionals in anti-social and anti-national activities, suggesting that academic achievement is increasingly being divorced from moral and ethical values.

The minister’s remarks were anchored in the chilling details of the November 10 car bomb blast near the Red Fort in Delhi, an attack that claimed fifteen lives. Singh pointed out that the perpetrators were not unlettered radicals but qualified doctors. He noted with irony that those who are trained to write prescriptions for life-saving medicine were instead found with RDX in their hands. The subsequent investigation into the Red Fort attack unravelled a sophisticated white-collar terror module, leading to the arrests of several medical professionals, including Dr Umar-un-Nabi, who allegedly drove the explosives-laden vehicle, as well as Dr Muzammil Ganai, Dr Adeel Rather, and Dr Shaheena Saeed.

Singh argued that these incidents highlight a critical failure in the modern education system. He asserted that the purpose of education must extend beyond professional success to include the development of character, humility, and a sense of duty, or “dharma". According to the minister, knowledge without wisdom or morality can prove fatal to society. He clarified that when he speaks of religion in this context, he is not referring to specific places of worship or rituals, but to a fundamental sense of responsibility toward one’s fellow citizens and the nation.

Beyond the challenges of internal security, the Defence Minister shared an optimistic outlook for India’s military and economic future. He highlighted the “remarkable work" being done by Indian defence startups and expressed confidence that the country would achieve full self-reliance in weapon systems within the next fifteen to twenty years. Linking this progress to India’s broader economic trajectory, he noted that the nation—currently the world’s fourth-largest economy—is on track to become the third-largest by 2030. He concluded by urging the academic community to foster a multidisciplinary approach to research that focuses on solving real-world social problems rather than merely achieving journal publications.