1 year ago
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As promised during their election campaign, the Karnataka government has given the green light to a committee's suggestions for updating school textbooks.
In a notice, the government has authorised the use of updated textbooks for Kannada I (for classes 1 to 10), Kannada III (for classes 9 and 10), and social science (for classes 6 to 10) starting from the academic year 2024-25. This textbook revision, initiated by the previous BJP government, based on suggestions from a committee led by writer Rohith Chakratirtha, faced criticism for its alleged bias towards a particular ideology.
During the launch of the 'Our School Our Responsibility' program in Mysuru, the Chief Minister of Karnataka emphasised the importance of values like liberty, equality, and fraternity, which form the essence of the constitution. He stressed the need to construct a society based on equality, despite teachings from figures like Buddha, Basava, and Ambedkar. The Chief Minister urged children to learn and grasp these principles to foster a sense of humanity.
After the Congress government took charge in May last year, they formed a committee led by retired professor Manjunath G Hegde to examine the textbooks. Following the latest recommendations from this committee, the government has approved 114 revised textbooks for the academic year 2024-25. These include 44 in Kannada language and 70 in social science, to be distributed in seven languages, as mentioned in the circular. Notable changes include the reintroduction of literary works by various authors like Girish Karnad, P Lankesh, Devanuru Mahadeva, Mudnakudu Chinnaswamy, Chandrashekara Kambara, Akkamahadevi, Devidasa, Mariyappa Bhatta, KV Tirumalesh, VG Bhat, and an article by Nagesh Hegde in Kannada language textbooks.
New content has been added to the textbooks, covering topics such as the culture of the Vedic period, the emergence of new religions, the role of women in shaping the Constitution, rights and opportunities for sexual minorities, human rights and responsibilities, a revised chapter on the arrival of Europeans in India, and the introduction of Vishwaguru Basaveshwara as a cultural leader. Additionally, lessons on the Bhakti movement now include Kanaka Dasa, Purandara Dasa, and Shishunala Sharif. Other additions include information about the Pocso Act, Niti Aayog, and the Bharat Ratna awarded to MS Swaminathan.
Once distributed to block education offices, the updated textbooks will be accessible on the Karnataka Textbook Society website. The expenses for the revision process will be funded through the grant allocated to KTBS.
(With inputs from ANI & TNN)
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