Who is Dr Vikas Divyakirti; Drishti IAS host facing backlash over remarks on Goddess Sita

Famous UPSC coaching centre Drishti IAS has been facing sharp criticism on social media after a video where a teacher from the Delhi-based centre is seen making remarks about Goddess Sita went viral. The hashtag #BanDrishtiIAS has been trending on Twitter and several verified accounts have posted against the centre and the video. 

The video features Vikas Divyakirti, the founder and teacher of the coaching centre, while he was teaching UPSC students the Sanskrit epic Ramayana. Divyakriti, apparently referring to some texts, tells the students that in Ramayana, God Rama had once compared Goddess Sita with "ghee contaminated by a dog".

Quoting Rama, Divyakriti was heard saying in the viral video, "I did not fight this war for you but for the respect of my lineage. As ghee licked by a dog is not appropriate for eating, you Sita, are not fit for me." 

This did not go down well with netizens as they thronged to accuse Divyakriti of hurting the sentiments of Hindus. Retweeting the video, BJP's Sadhvi Prachi wrote: "Retweet If You Want . #BanDrishtiIAS."

"Coaching centres discussing sensitive religious texts with negative comments despite strong observation by recent Higher Courts. This must be investigated with FIR," another Twitter user has written. 

On the other hand, some people have also come out in support of Divyakriti. "#DrishtiIasOurPride He was just quoting a hindi novel #BanDrishtiIAS," wrote one person. 

Who is Vikas Divyakirti?

Divyakriti is quite popular among the aspirants of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam. He had completed BA, MA, M.Phil and PhD in Hindi Literature from Delhi University.

He had cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) in 1996 in his first attempt. After clearing all three stages of the exam and securing a rank of 384, he was allotted the Ministry of Home Affairs. 

However, he resigned a year later to establish Drishti IAS coaching classes in 1999. The centre is headquartered in Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar but also has branches in Prayagraj and Jaipur.

Divyakriti has been a proponent of equity in terms of the linguistic mode of the Civil Service aptitude test (CSAT), which he said was a hurdle for students as it was in the English language. 

"Social and linguistic diversity plays a key role in shaping the future of this country. The UPSC must think about these concerns and formulate a plan of action to encourage diversity and inclusion in the bureaucracy. Otherwise, it will remain the colonial-era administrative system where nobles and affluent individuals ruled the people," he has been quoted as saying.