| 15 June 2023
The Karnataka Cabinet, led by the Congress government, has recently approved a series of revisions to textbooks on Kannada and social science taught in state schools. The revisions, aimed at undoing changes made by the previous BJP government, will eliminate chapters on RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar while introducing content on prominent figures such as Savitribai Phule, Chakravarti Sulibele, Jawaharlal Nehru's letters to Indira Gandhi, and poetry dedicated to BR Ambedkar.
This move by the Karnataka education minister, Madhu Bangarappa, reflects the Congress party's commitment to fulfilling its election promises outlined in its poll manifesto. The party had vowed to reverse alterations made to school textbooks during the BJP's tenure. Highlighting this objective, Minister Bangarappa stated, "Whatever changes they [the previous BJP government] had made last year, we have simply reintroduced them, that's all."
The revisions will have a significant impact on the Kannada and social science textbooks for students in Class VI to Class X. However, since the textbooks for the current academic year have already been distributed, the additional chapters will initially be taught as supplementary texts. Minister Bangarappa assured that the supplementary materials will be made available to students within ten days. The entire textbook revision process is estimated to cost approximately Rs 10 to 12 lakh.
The controversy surrounding textbook content arose during the BJP government's rule when the opposition Congress and various writers criticized the inclusion of RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar's speech while omitting chapters on notable freedom fighters, social reformers, and renowned literary figures. Demands were made for the removal of Rohith Chakratirtha, the then chief of the textbook review committee, on allegations of "saffronising" the curriculum.
Furthermore, the Karnataka Cabinet has decided to make it mandatory for students in schools and colleges to recite the Preamble of the Constitution alongside regular hymns. This move, proposed by Karnataka law HK Patil, aims to instill a stronger sense of constitutional values and awareness among the students.
As the Congress government strives to align the educational curriculum with its ideological perspective, these textbook revisions represent a course correction that seeks to reintroduce chapters on significant historical and literary figures, empowering students with a more diverse and inclusive understanding of Karnataka's cultural and social fabric.
It is worth noting that while these changes are significant, they are being implemented as supplementary material for the current academic year. The impact of these revisions and the overall response from students, educators, and the public will be closely observed as Karnataka's educational landscape undergoes this significant transformation.
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