Karnataka govt forms panels for textbook revision, undo changes made during BJP regime

The state government has formed five new textbook revision committees, consisting of 37 experts, to revise Kannada and social subjects in school textbooks for the next academic year, and undo the changes made during the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) regime in the state, officials familiar with the matter said.

According to an order issued by the department of school education and literacy, the state government has appointed Dr Manjunath Hegde, a retired professor from the Rani Channamma University (RCU), as the chief coordinator of the five committee. It also includes several subject-wise presidents from various universities across Karnataka.

The revisions will be made to first and second-language Kannada textbooks for classes I to X, third-language Kannada textbooks for classes IX and X, and social science textbooks for classes VI to X.

The government has instructed the new committee to complete the textbook revisions in three months and submit the report, which will be implemented for the 2024-2025 academic year.

According to the order, the revision will be as per the UPA era’s National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 even as the central government has brought out NCF 2023.

The objective of the 37-member committee is to provide educational guidance and recommendations to the government regarding the revision of textbooks in the specified subjects and classes. The order also suggests that a monthly honorarium and other facilities be provided to the chief coordinator and other members of the committee, which will be in effect for the next three months.

Former Karnataka education minister and BJP leader BC Nagesh criticised the move, and said the revisions are being done to fulfil the Congress government’s ideology.

“This is being done to fulfil their political egos and ideology. They should focus on the education for the next generation. The new NEP curriculum is here. Instead, they want to revamp the education based on the 2005 NEP framework. We should move forward, not backward,” Nagesh told HT.

Pointing out that there is lack of rationale behind the new expert committee, Nagesh said, “The recent revisions they made had about 18 changes, and that too minute ones. What was the need for a new committee again? If the revisions are applicable for all schools, including private ones, then it’s okay. While NEP is applicable for the CBSE schools, Siddaramaiah-driven agenda is being thrusted on the state schools. They are holding on to a particular ideology for their gain.”

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Last year, the textbook revision committee, chaired by Rohith Chakrathirtha, faced criticism from writers, academics, religious leaders, and opposition parties for allegedly attempting to “saffronise” the curriculum by dropping works of social reformers and progressive thinkers. The credentials of Chakratirtha and other committee members were also questioned.

In June, the state Cabinet had approved revision of school textbooks to undo the changes made during the previous BJP regime. The state had then ordered 18 major changes in Kananda and Social Science subjects for classes 6 to 10.

The Congress government had replaced RSS founder KB Hedgewar’s ‘Nijavada Adarsha Purusha Yaragabeku’ with a lesson titled ‘Sukumara Swamiya Kathe’ by Shivakotyacharya in class 10 Kannada textbook. It had dropped the poem featuring Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar ‘Kalavannu Geddavaru’ by KT Gatti with ‘Blood Group’ by Vijayamala Ranganath in Class 8 Kannada textbook.

In addition, the Congress government reintroduced ‘Magalige Bareda Patra’ by first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru, translated by Siddanahalli Krishna Sharma, in the class 8 Kannada textbook. The previous BJP government had dropped the lesson and introduced ‘Bhoo Kailasa’, a play by Parampalli Narasimha Aithal, which has now been excluded.

“They want to bring in caste and religion into everything. If they bring in revisions to thrust a particular ideology, I think their intention is to see that government schools are closed immediately,” Nagesh added.