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Karnataka government to omit controversial religious texts from school books

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The Karnataka government is all set to form a high-level committee to remove controversial lessons from the textbooks pertaining to religion from Class 1 to 10. It will also remove controversial texts blaming Vaidika dharma (Vedic way of life, Hinduism) for the rise of other religions such as Jainism and Buddhism in India.

The government will form a high-level committee to take a look at all such contentious issues in Class 1 to 10 textbooks, sources said.

The committee is being formed as objections came for the controversial text in the Social Science subject Part 1, prescribed for 6th standard students.

The contentious content talks about the birth of new religions, especially Buddhism and Jainism. The lesson says, during the Vedic period (1500 BC to 600 BC), the rituals like ‘homa’ and ‘havana’ (tradition of offering precious food items into the sacred fire to please gods), in which large quantities of foodgrains, milk, ghee led to food scarcity. The lesson also discussed rituals of the sacrifice of animals.

The lesson further said it was believed that such rituals are only to find solutions. Common people could not understand chants as they were in Sanskrit, whereas Buddhism and Jainism taught simple ways which led to their growth, it mentioned.

The Karnataka State Brahmin Development Board had met then Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa in February objecting to the parts of a chapter in social science textbooks. The Yediyurappa government issued a circular on February 17 instructing that the chapter should neither be taught nor used for evaluation.

Sources in the government said, it has already been decided to remove this controversial chapter from the next academic year. “It has been decided to form a committee under the chairmanship of Rohith Chakratheertha, a member of the Kannada Development Authority. The government will announce the formation of a committee soon,” the sources said.

It has also been decided to appoint 16 other members, including representatives from the Rashtrothana Parishat,, the frontier organisation of RSS, researchers from Mythic Society, folklore studies and from other reputed institutions. The committee will also include representatives of reputed educational institutions of the state.

The committee will take a relook at the content of the page numbers 82 and 83 under the title “Reasons for the emergence of new religions” in the Social Science Part -1 textbook prescribed for Class 6 students.

The content given in the first two paragraphs under the title and six beginning lines of page number 83 will also be discussed. Sources explain that the content claiming drawbacks of Vedic religion giving way for the emergence of new religions will be dropped from the academic year 2021-22.

The committee will also take a relook at contentious issues related to religion in textbooks of Social Science, Environmental Science and Languages from Class 1 – 10.

The government has already directed the Department of Public Instruction to form a committee of experts and academicians to find out any content hurting sentiments of any religion in the form of lessons prescribed for children from Class 1 to 10.

The government has also said a high-level committee will further deliberate on the report by the Department of Public Instruction. Sources explained that the government is expected to announce the committee soon.

The decision to exclude the chapter from teaching was earlier opposed by experts who maintained that the students will lose out on critical thinking. It is to be seen how the academicians respond to the recent decision to overhaul all the textbooks from Class 1 to 10 on contentious religious issues in the state.

National News

Instead of skilling, youth being pushed to become delivery persons: Akhilesh Yadav

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New Delhi, Feb 11: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said “Skill India Mission” is just a hollow slogan, claiming that in the name of skilled workers, the government has pushed the youth towards becoming delivery persons.

Opposing the Union Budget 2025-26 during a discussion in Lok Sabha, the Kannauj MP said there is an absence of appropriated environment for investment that is the only key for true “Vikas”.

Raising issues like the drop in the country’s position in the hunger index and cut in the education budget, Yadav said the government is dreaming of making India the food basket of the world but it will remain to be ‘jumlebazi’ (hollow slogan) unless it first feeds the hungry in the country.

“The hunger index figures are exposing the hollow progress being claimed by the government,” he said, hitting out at the lack of efforts to control price rise.

He also slammed the Budget for not proposing measures to remove poverty, provide good education and health services and create jobs.

“There is no road map for progress in the Budget,” he said, alleging concentration of wealth in the hands of a few, the widening of disparity in society, the infringement of tribals’ rights and the crying need for reforms in the financial sector.

“Asli traqi hai wohi jo har farq mitati hai, jo har tarf khushhali ke gul failati hai (True progress is the one which brings about all-around prosperity and removes disparity), ” he said.

“Real development is the one which diminishes disparity, and an ideal Budget is the one which is democratic and paves the way for overall development and empowers the last person in line,” he said.

Slamming the poor performance of the economy, he said the government’s claim that the Budget is focused on pushing up the rate of progress exposes the fact that the rate of growth has been sluggish over the past 11 years due to lack of investment.

Yadav also decried the dependence of the Indian stock market on foreign investors’ investments.

He said the BJP government’s latest Budget has nothing to offer for the development of the country or for the progress of people.

“There is no special assistance or reference to MSMEs in the Budget,” said Yadav, saying most of such units are not benefitting from its schemes as only a fraction of them were registered with the government.

He also called for special schemes for farmers and waiving their loans, providing them MSP while taking measures to protect crops from stray cattle.

He also sought measures to stop fake news, alleging that the government was busy highlighting its achievement but, in the process, ending up defaming the rivals.

Yadav described demonetisation and the introduction of GST as the biggest economic disasters in the country.

He also cited the case of a boy who was born while his mother was standing in a bank during demonetisation and urged the government to adopt him. “We had named him khazanchi (treasurer) and he has now grown up to cycle around,” he said.

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National News

INDIA Bloc, Maha Vikas Aghadi must stay united, says Dalwai amid rift concerns

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New Delhi, Feb 11: Maharashtra Congress leader Husain Dalwai on Tuesday emphasised the importance of unity within the INDIA bloc and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), warning that any break-up would weaken the Opposition’s fight against the current government.

His remarks come in response to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s announcement that her party, the Trinamool Congress, will contest the 2026 state Assembly elections independently, raising concerns about the solidarity of the Opposition coalition.

Speaking with IANS, Dalwai urged all parties within the INDIA bloc and the MVA to work together, especially as they oppose the ruling government at the Centre and in various states.

“It is not enough to only criticise the Congress. Yes, Kejriwal’s actions in Haryana and elsewhere should be examined, but we must also acknowledge that the Congress has always understood the need to collaborate with regional parties,” Dalwai stated.

Highlighting the history of regional party formations, Dalwai pointed out that Congress was unable to address the issues of backward communities, particularly the OBCs, which led to the rise of regional parties.

“Rahul Gandhi’s vision is to build a strong India that represents all sections of society,” he said. “In my opinion, the Maha Vikas Aghadi and the INDIA Bloc must stay united and fight against the current government at the Centre with greater strength,” he said.

Dalwai further reacted on the controversy surrounding Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s remarks about VIP darshan. He criticised the VIP facilities provided at religious events like the Kumbh Mela, where common people were left without proper amenities, leading to tragic incidents.

“The situation was dire, and people suffered due to the lack of basic facilities,” Dalwai asserted.

He called on CM Adityanath to accept responsibility for the failures, saying the common man deserves the same rights and respect as VIPs, especially when attending sacred events.

Turning to the ongoing controversy over comments made by Ranveer Allahbadia on ‘India’s Got Latent’, Dalwai strongly condemned the remarks. Describing the comments as vulgar and damaging, he criticised the lack of action from the Mumbai Police.

“Freedom of expression should not be used to spread filth or make inappropriate jokes,” Dalwai argued.

“There should be consequences for such behaviour. The show and its creators should be held accountable and banned, as should the YouTube channel that aired the episode,” he concluded.

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Crime

SC closes PIL against alarming rise in lynchings, mob violence

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New Delhi, Feb 11: The Supreme Court on Tuesday disposed of a PIL seeking directions to DGPs of states to take immediate action in lynching and mob violence cases in accordance with the directions of the apex court and added that the directions in the Tehseen Poonawalla vs. Union of India case were binding on all authorities across India.

A Bench of Justices B.R. Gavai and K.Vinod Chandran opined that sitting in the national Capital, it cannot monitor incidents in different areas of different states across the country.

“Sitting in Delhi, we cannot monitor incidents in different areas of the country and in our view such micromanagement would not be feasible,” said the Justice Gavai-led Bench.

It added that the directions laid down by the top court in the case of Tehseen Poonawalla vs. Union of India, are binding on all authorities across the country under Article 141 of the Constitution.

In its 2018 judgment in the Poonawalla case, the Supreme Court had directed designation of nodal officer in each district for taking measures to prevent incidents of mob violence and lynching.

“The Director General of Police/the Secretary, Home Department of the concerned states shall take regular review meetings (at least once a quarter) with all the Nodal Officers and State Police Intelligence heads,” it had ordered.

In its order, the Justice Gavai-led Bench stated that an aggrieved person can always seek remedy in accordance with the law, clarifying that the apex court cannot lay down any uniform criteria for the grant of compensation to the victims of mob lynching incidents since the quantum of compensation ought to be decided on a case to case basis.

Further, the apex court refused to examine the validity of cow protection laws introduced in several states, suggesting the litigants to approach the jurisdictional High Court.

“It will be appropriate that persons who are aggrieved approach jurisdictional High Courts to challenge the vires of the legislations/notifications,” the SC said.

During the course of hearing, Solicitor General (SG) Tushar Mehta, the second-highest law officer of the Centre, submitted that mob lynching is a distinct offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and if there is any violation, the law will take its own course.

In an earlier hearing, the top court had pulled up the state governments of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Bihar for not filing their counter-affidavits.

“We clarify that in the event counter affidavits are not filed by the above-mentioned states, the Chief Secretaries of the said states shall remain personally present in the court on the next date of hearing to show cause as to why an action should not be taken against them for non-compliance of the orders of the court,” it had said in an order passed on November 5, 2024.

Earlier in April last year, the apex court had granted six weeks to various state governments to file their reply detailing the action taken in cases of lynchings and mob violence.

“It was expected of the state governments to at least respond and give details as to what action has been taken in respect of the said instances (of lynchings and mob violence). We, therefore, grant six weeks’ time to all the state governments – who have not yet filed their affidavits – to file their counter-reply and give an explanation as to what action has been taken by the states in respect of incidents mentioned in the writ petition or interlocutory applications,” the SC had said.

In July 2023, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre and the Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Odisha, and Maharashtra governments. Later, all state governments were added as parties in the PIL on an application moved by Islamic clerics’ organisation Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind. The plea prayed for a minimum uniform compensation to be determined by the court that should be granted to the victims or their families in addition to the amount determined by the authorities.

“In most cases, minimal action of merely registering FIRs is the only thing that is done by the authorities which seems to be more of a formality than any genuine initiation of the criminal machinery,” the plea said.

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