Bharat Mata controversy: Kerala govt to teach powers of Governor in Class 10 textbooks

The Kerala government is considering legal action against the display of a saffron-clad Bharat Mata portrait at official Raj Bhavan events.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government is exploring legal action against Governor Rajendra Arlekar in connection with the saffron-clad Bharat Mata portrait controversy. The government has sought the legal department's advise, following which the Raj Bhavan will be informed of their stance. Education Minister V Sivankutty announced on Friday that the powers and duties of governors will be included in school textbooks.

The state government is also considering to move official events, even those including the governor, away from the Raj Bhavan. Governor's floral tribute to a saffron-clad Bharat Mata portrait during a certificate distribution ceremony for Scouts and Guides on June 19 resulted in Sivankutty walking out from the ceremony. 

Governor's powers to be taught in textbooks

Minister Sivankutty told reporters that the governor's powers and duties will be included in school textbooks. "The state's curriculum has been revised to uphold constitutional values. The Department of Public Education will give priority to providing the necessary support to emulate them in life and through school education activities."

"There are increasing attempts to destabilise elected governments in the country by using governors. The Supreme Court itself has clarified the constitutional powers of governors. Since schools are the real places where the values of democracy should be learned, this matter will be included separately in the revised textbooks to teach students about the constitutional powers of governors. This subject will be included in the second volume of Social Science this year and during the revision of higher secondary textbooks." Sivankutty stated.

The syllabus will include instances of Governors allegedly using non-existent powers to destabilize governments. The interventions of Governors in non-BJP ruled states, including Kerala, will also be part of the curriculum. The topic will be taught in the 10th-grade social science textbook this year. It will later be included in the higher secondary curriculum as well.

NCERT renamed textbooks

Recently, NCERT released the new names of books for various classes. Class 1 and Class 2 books are now named as 'Mridang' and a Class 3 book is named 'Santoor'. The Class 6 English book has been renamed from 'Honeysuckle' to 'Poorvi'. The recent name changes have reignited the language row as multiple ministers of different states, including Kerala and Tamil, accuse the central government of trying to "impose Hindi" on school students through the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP). Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has also criticised the central government for "Hindi imposition" before, claiming that the latter has denied certain funds to state schools for refusing to implement the three-language formula in the NEP.

Meanwhile, the Raj Bhavan continues to express strong displeasure over the Education Minister's walkout. Beyond the press release criticizing the minister, the Raj Bhavan is also considering further action. The Raj Bhavan plans to send a letter to the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary raising the issue of protocol violation.

(With inputs from ANI)