National News
Karnataka government to omit controversial religious texts from school books

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
CAG frowns at BMC in Special Audit of expenses during MVA rule

The Accountant General (Audit-I) Maharashtra has rebuked the country’s biggest and richest civic body, BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), for certain lapses and irregularities in a Special Audit of 76 identified works worth Rs 12,000 crore.
The audit, covering nine key BMC departments, was performed for works carried out between November 28, 2019 – the day when Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) came to power in the state and Uddhav Thackeray took oath as the Chief Minister – and October 31, 2022.
Ordered on October 31, 2022 by the new government headed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the audit also included the expenditure on 13 Jumbo Covid Centres, 24 ward offices, five major hospitals, six specialised hospitals, 17 peripheral hospitals, one dental hospital and others.
However, the BMC had sent a legal notice to the CAG on November 17, 2022, not to go ahead with any audit of acts, works or decisions taken for Covid management or expenditure of Rs 3,538.73 crore, referring to the Epidemic Act, 1897 and Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The state government, in November 2022, rubbished the BMC’s contentions, and despite many reminders, the Mumbai civic body did not produce records related to Covid-19 management.
Accordingly, the Special Audit has omitted the Covid-19 management part on grounds that without the relevant records, no confirmation can be made in audit on the propriety, efficiency, economy and effectiveness of Covid 19 related expenditure by BMC.
“Needless to mention that non-cooperation of BMC in producing the Covid-19 management records for the purpose of Special Audit, apart from impinging on the Constitutional Aresponsibilities devolved on the Comptroller and Auditor General of India, also deprived BMC of crucial audit inputs. As per the powers and functions entrusted under Constitution and DPC Act and in keeping with legal replies filed as mentioned above, further appropriate steps, are reserved,” said the Audit Report.
Established in 1873, the BMC administers an area of 480 sq km through three divisions, seven zones and 24 Wards, that makes up the country’s commercial capital.
National
Developed INDIA with efforts of every single individuals by:PM

India will emerge as a “developed” nation by 2047 with efforts of every single individual, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said here on Saturday.
He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating Madhusudan Sai Medical Sciences and Research Institute of Satya Sai Ashram at Muddenahalli here.
“People ask how will India progress to become a developed nation within a short period by 2047, which marks the 100th year of independence? The answer with conviction and commitment would be “sab ka prayason se” (with the efforts of all).
The dream will turn into a reality with the hard work of every single individual of the country. The government is encouraging collective efforts. The role of social and religious institutions in this regard is also important, PM Modi stated.
There were less than 380 medical colleges in the country and after BJP took over, the number has increased to 650. Among them, 40 are located in the aspirational districts. The number of medical seats have been increased in the country considerably, PM Modi said.
Number of doctors who passed out in 75 years, will now graduate in 10 years. There are 70 medical colleges in Karnataka and a double engine government has established one in Chikkaballapur, he noted.
The previous governments were engaged in enacting games over languages. No step was taken to ensure medical and engineering education in Kannada language. No interest was shown. “Now, provision has been made to pursue medical education in all Indian languages, including Kannada,” PM Modi explained.
The opposition has treated the poor as their vote bank. But, BJP made it the highest objective to uplift the poor. The BJP is providing them with medicines at a cheaper price through Pradhan Mantri Janaushad outlets. The poor did not dare to go to hospitals and the government has made arrangements to get free treatment up to Rs 5 lakh, PM Modi stated.
Crime
Anti-hijack drill conducted at Jammu Airport

An anti-hijack drill was jointly conducted by different agencies at Jammu airport to validate the processes by inter agencies during such crisis, a defence spokesperson said in a statement on Saturday.
“A Full Fledged Anti Hijack Drill was conducted by NSG at Jammu airport on March 24 with activation of Anti Hijack committee at Air Force Station Jammu,” the statement said.
“This exercise involved all key stakeholders from Indian Air Force, AAI, state government, JKP, CISF, IOC and other key players.”
The drill involved entire spectrum of events including negotiations with hijackers followed by intervention and overpowering of hijackers by a potent team of NSG.
“The exercise gave a unique opportunity to validate processes by inter agencies during such crisis. An Air India aircraft which landed at Jammu in the afternoon was utilised for the realistic drill. The exercise was successfully conducted bringing valuable lessons and training for all stakeholders,” the statement added.
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