Delhi, 18th March, 1948
The afternoon sun slanted through the tall windows of Arjun's office, casting long shadows across the polished floor.
He sat motionless at his desk, with fingers steepled, and watching dust motes dance in the golden light.
He reached for the brass intercom on his desk, "Ask the Education Minister to see me at his earliest convenience."
The response crackled through the speaker: "Right away, sir."
Narahari D. Parikh arrived within the hour, slightly out of breath and carrying the leather satchel that had become his trademark around South Block.
The veteran educationist had the perpetually rumpled appearance of a man more comfortable with books than bureaucracy.
Though his eyes held the sharp intelligence that had made him instrumental in shaping India's educational vision.
"Minister," Arjun said, rising to greet him with genuine warmth—a rarity that Parikh had learned to appreciate.
"Please, sit. I have something rather exciting to discuss."
Parikh settled into the chair across from Arjun's desk, automatically reaching for his ever-present notebook.
Arjun moved to the wall map, his hand tracing the familiar outlines of the subcontinent.
Newly planned industrial centers were marked in red ink and agricultural zones in green, each symbol representing hours of careful planning.
"Our recent agreements with Washington and Moscow have opened doors we couldn't have imagined even six months ago.
They're offering us more than machines and materials—they've agreed to offer us knowledge itself."
Parikh's pen paused above his notebook. As an educator, he understood the meaning immediately. "Like foreign training programs or similar?"
"Yes, and it could lead to the complete transformation of our human capital strategy." Arjun's voice carried the subtle weight.
"I want one thousand of our brightest young minds sent to America, another thousand to the Soviet Union.
Not tourists or temporary scholars, but serious students who will master the techniques that built superpowers."
"Two thousand students?" Parikh's eyebrows rose. "But the cost…"
"It will be recovered a hundredfold when they return." Arjun returned to his chair, leaning forward with the focused energy of a man who had already visualized success.
"From America, we need technology and agricultural revolution. Their mechanized farming, their irrigation systems, their approach to crop yields—everything that turned their midwest into the US's breadbasket.
We also need their chemical expertise, their manufacturing efficiency, and perhaps some of their early work in electronics."
He paused, watching Parikh's face carefully. "But from the Soviets, we need something different. Heavy industry. Steel production that can compete with anyone in the world.
Metallurgy that can build the backbone of our very own Project Iskra. Railway engineering that can span continents. The kind of foundational knowledge that transforms nations."
Parikh scribbled notes, his academic mind already categorizing and prioritizing.
"The selection process will be crucial. We'll need to identify candidates with both the aptitude and the temperament for such intensive training."
"Indeed." Arjun's tone shifted, becoming quieter, more deliberate. "Which brings me to the delicate aspect of this initiative."
Something in his voice made Parikh look up from his notebook.
"Both superpowers, Minister, are eager to share their knowledge. But they're equally eager to shape the minds that receive it.
Young Indians studying in American universities will be exposed to American values, American perspectives on democracy and capitalism.
Those in Soviet institutions will encounter Marxist theory, Communist methodology. This is inevitable."
Parikh nodded slowly. As an educator, he'd seen how exposure to foreign ideas could fundamentally alter a student's worldview.
"We cannot prevent this exposure," Arjun continued. "Indeed, some of it may be beneficial. But we must ensure that the minds we send abroad return as Indians first, specialists second. Their loyalty must be beyond question."
"Rigorous selection criteria," Parikh murmured, understanding beginning to dawn.
"More than rigorous. Absolute." Arjun's gaze was steady, implacable. "Every candidate must undergo comprehensive background verification.
Not just academic records, but family history, personal associations, psychological profiles. We need to understand not just what they know, but who they are at their core."
Parikh's pen moved more slowly now. "That level of investigation... it would require coordination with security services."
"Naturally. The Intelligence Bureau will assist with the vetting process. Their expertise in assessing loyalty and identifying potential vulnerabilities will be invaluable."
The room fell silent except for the distant hum of afternoon traffic and the soft scratch of Parikh's pen. Both men understood they were discussing something that went far beyond traditional educational exchange.
"There's one more element," Arjun said quietly. "Among these two thousand students, a small number—perhaps fifty total—will be selected from intelligence services rather than universities. Brilliant individuals who can master technical subjects while maintaining their primary mission."
Parikh's hand stilled completely. "Their mission?"
"Observation. Assessment. Protection." Arjun's voice was matter-of-fact, as if discussing course requirements.
"They'll study alongside our other students, excel in their chosen fields, and return with genuine expertise. But they'll also report on any attempts at ideological manipulation, any efforts to recruit our people, any intelligence gathering by our hosts."
The implications settled over Parikh like a heavy blanket.
What Arjun was proposing was a form of intellectual warfare, fought with scholarships and dissertations rather than weapons.
"It's necessary, Narahari-ji," Arjun said, perhaps reading the awe in Parikh's expression.
"Knowledge without security is vulnerability. These students will be targets from the moment they set foot on foreign soil. We owe them protection, and we owe India assurance that the minds we're cultivating remain our own."
Parikh closed his notebook with deliberate care. "The practical arrangements will be a bit complex. There can be candidates who matches the criteria but might object to psychological assessment."
"Complexity is the price of ambition, Narahari-ji" Arjun stood, moving to the window that overlooked the city sprawling toward the horizon.
"But consider what we're building. In 2 years, these students will return as experts in technologies that took other nations decades to develop.
In 5 years, they'll be leading the institutions that transform India into an industrial power. In 10 years, they'll be the generation that makes us truly self-reliant."
"And if the Americans or Soviets discover our intelligence officers among their students?"
Arjun's reflection in the window glass showed a slight smile. "Then they'll learn that India has grown beyond their expectations. That might be useful in itself.
I doubt they'll take any extreme steps, as they'll only monitor the process, not sabotage any American or Soviet interest."
Parikh gathered his papers, his mind already working through the logistics of what might be the most ambitious educational initiative in India's history.
As he reached the door, Arjun's voice stopped him.
"Oh, and Minister? Select the intelligence officers yourself. Don't delegate that decision. The future we're building depends on getting every detail right."
After Parikh left, Arjun remained at the window, watching the city pulse with late afternoon energy.
Somewhere out there were the minds that would remake India—bright young students who didn't yet know they'd been chosen for something far greater than personal advancement.
They would study in foreign universities, master foreign techniques, and return as something new: Indians who could think globally while remaining unshakably rooted in their homeland's interests.
It was a dangerous game, sending India's brightest into the heart of competing ideologies. But it was also necessary.
The world's knowledge belonged to whoever could claim it, and Arjun would ensure that India get its share.