Karnataka syllabus controversy: Congress government drops Hedgewar, Savarkar chapters from textbooks

Speaking to reporters, Madhu Bangarappa said, "Syllabus on KB Hedgewar has been dropped. Whatever changes they (previous govt) have done last year, we have changed it and reintroduced whatever was there last to last year."

Karnataka Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa on Thursday (June 15) said that lessons on Hedgewar and Savarkar will be removed from current curriculum. The Cabinet has decided to provide supplementary booklets to all schools instead of printing new textbooks.

Speaking to reporters, Madhu Bangarappa said, "Syllabus on KB Hedgewar has been dropped. Whatever changes they (previous govt) have done last year, we have changed it and reintroduced whatever was there last to last year."

Earlier this month, the committee members met with the minister to submit a memorandum seeking revision of textbooks as well as the repeal of recommendations made as part of the National Education Policy.

The minister said that a complete revision of textbooks could not be made as they have already been distributed to students. However, teachers would be informed about the changes in the syllabus through booklets.

During the Karnataka Assembly elections, the Congress in its poll manifesto had promised to undo the changes made to school textbooks when the BJP was in power and had also promised to scrap the National Education Policy (NEP).

During the previous BJP regime, there was a textbook controversy with demands by opposition Congress and some writers for sacking the then textbook review committee chief Rohith Chakratirtha for allegedly "saffronising" school textbooks by including the speech of RSS founder KB Hedgewar as a chapter and omitting chapters on key figures like freedom fighters, social reformers, and the writings of noted literary figures.