The Congress-run Karnataka government has reintroduced the works of imminent poets, authors, and progressive writers in the state education system that were deleted by the previously Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state.
The changes will be effective from the academic year 2024-25, according to a government order passed on March 5.
The Congress government, after assuming power in the state, had ordered a total of 18 changes in the Kannada and Social Science subjects in textbooks of Classes 6 to 10.
The Karnataka Textbook Revision Committee, headed by Dr Manjunath Hegde, formed soon after the Congress came to power in early 2023, have now included the works of artists and scholars in the first language Kannada textbooks from Class 8 to 10. These are:
- Chandrashekara Kambara (prominent poet, playwriter, film director and founder-vice-chancellor of Kannada University),
- Girish Karnad (prominent actor, film director, Kannada writer, playwright and a Jnanpith awardee),
- Devidasa of Nurpur (painter artist from around 1680 to 1720),
- Mariappa Bhatta (Kannada scholar, linguist and lexicographer),
- Ananthamurthy Rao (contemporary writer and critic),
- Devanur Mahadeva (Kannada writer and Padma Shri awardee) and
- Akkamahdevi (early poets of Kannada literature)
The new committee, headed by Dr Manjunath Hegde, has included social and religious reform movements, including the works of Savitribai Phule, Young Bengal movement and Periyar, which have been added to the history books of Class 10.
In the Class 8 history textbook, while the chapter on Sanatana Dharma has been retained, certain changes have been made to give a more coherent and logical approach.
The chapter Indus-Sarasvati Civilization has been changed to ‘Civilizations of Ancient India: Indus-Sarasvati Civilization and Vedic Period’.
The Hegde committee has added new images and descriptions in Class 6 and Class 7 Kannada textbooks. The Rohith Chakrathirtha committee, formed by the BJP government, had made several changes catering to the Hindutva ideology. It faced heavy criticism for replacing the Kannada state flag with a saffron flag in the hands of Goddess Bhuvaneshwari. There were allegations of insulting the state anthem of Rashtrakavi Kuvempu and also removing his picture.
All those images and descriptions have been restored and updated by the Hegde committee, adding ‘Our Proud State of Karnataka’ as a new chapter in the Class 7 social science textbook.
Further, details of Chandrashekar Kambara (prominent poet, playwriter, film director and founder-vice-chancellor of Kannada University), Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar (the fourth king of Mysore), H L Nagegowda (Kannada folklorist and author), Dr Siddalingaiah (poet, playwriter and Dalit activist), Siddeshwara Swami (Hindu saint) have been included.
The Chakrathirtha-led committee was criticized for dropping important chapters related to the work of Sufi saints and Hindu poets. It had included a lesson on RSS founder K B Hedgewar titled ‘Who Should Be an Ideal Man’. This has been replaced by Story of Sukumara Swami authored by Shivakotacharya in Class 10 (Kannada language).
Furthermore, the Hegde committee has added works of Sir M Visvesvaraya (administrator, and statesman, who served as the 19th Dewan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918) and Basavanna (philosopher, poet, Lingayat social reformer) in the second language Kannada textbooks of Class 8.
The new committee has also introduced and updated the arrival of Europeans and British in India. In Class 9 and 10 political science textbooks, subjects like international relations, foreign policy, Army training centres, and public administration have been added.
The Congress government has reintroduced ‘Letter to my daughter’ by India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, translated by Siddanahalli Krishna Sharma, in the Class 8 (Kannada language) textbook. The BJP had replaced it with Bhoo Kailasa by Parampalli Narasimha Aithal, which has now been axed.
