Degrees Without Dharma: Rajnath Singh Flags Rising Threat Of White-Collar Terrorism

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday raised serious concerns over what he described as an “alarming rise” in white-collar terrorism across India. Addressing the 104th foundation day of Bhupal Nobles’ University in Udaipur, Singh highlighted the troubling trend of highly educated professionals engaging in anti-social and anti-national activities, warning that academic credentials are increasingly becoming detached from ethical and moral responsibility.

Singh’s cautionary remarks were grounded in the harrowing events of the November 10 car bomb explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort, a terror attack that claimed the lives of fifteen people. The Defence Minister stressed that the individuals behind this deadly incident were not uneducated extremists but qualified medical professionals. With stark irony, he pointed out that those trained to save lives with their medical expertise were instead caught handling RDX explosives.

The investigation into the Red Fort bombing revealed a meticulously planned white-collar terror network. This probe led to the arrest of multiple medical practitioners, including Dr Umar-un-Nabi, who allegedly drove the explosives-laden vehicle, along with Dr Muzammil Ganai, Dr Adeel Rather, and Dr Shaheena Saeed. The unfolding of these events has highlighted a new dimension of terror, where education and skill are misused for destructive purposes rather than societal benefit.

Addressing the gathering at Bhupal Nobles’ University, Singh warned that this trend represents a fundamental threat to national security and societal values. He emphasized the urgent need to integrate ethical training with professional education to prevent the misuse of knowledge and expertise. The Defence Minister’s warning underscores that academic degrees alone cannot safeguard society; they must be complemented by a strong sense of dharma, ethics, and civic responsibility.

Singh’s remarks serve as a wake-up call to policymakers, educators, and citizens alike, urging vigilance against the growing sophistication of white-collar terror operations. The Red Fort incident, he stressed, is a stark reminder that radicalization can transcend social and educational boundaries, and that safeguarding the nation requires not only intelligence and law enforcement but also a moral and ethical grounding among professionals.