BENGALURU: Refuting allegations of Education Minister BC Nagesh that chapters on writers and warriors were removed in 2014, former chairperson of the Textbook Revision Committee Baraguru Ramachandrappa claimed that he had not omitted any lessons, but only reshuffled them to be included in textbooks of different classes. The leaders referred to are Kuvempu, Gandhi, Ambedkar, Kittur Rani Channamma, Sangolli Rayanna, Rani Abbakka, Madakari Nayaka and Kempegowda.
He said the write-ups by Kuvempu are in Class 7 and Class 10 Kannada textbooks. The poem ‘Bharatha Bhoomi Namma Thaayi’ which on the high school syllabus, has been included in the Class 7 text to imbibe feelings of patriotism from a young age. The Social Science textbooks of Class 7 and 10 have information on Gandhi, while the textbooks of Class 8, 9 and 10 have lessons on Ambedkar, Ramachandrappa said.
Lessons on Rani Abbakka, Kittur Rani Channamma, Sangolli Rayanna, Madakari Nayaka, Yelahanka Naadaprabhu and Immadi Kempegowda are part of high school Social Science textbooks, he added. The Class 7 text carries a chapter on Mysuru Wadiyars too, he said. “Only facts were included on Tipu Sultan or Veer Savarkar when the texts were revised. The criteria was to provide information, not biased and baseless details to children of primary and middle schools,” he added.
“In 2014, as many as 27 committees comprising 172 experts revised the textbooks. I was not the only person who did it,” he said.
EVS text not revised
Karnataka Text Book Society MD Madegowda MP clarified that the textbook revision committee led by Rohit Chakratheertha has not revised the Class 4 Environmental Studies textbook, and have not removed nine lines under the title of ‘Kuppalli Venkatappa Puttappa’ in the chapter ‘Prthiyobbaroo Vishishta’.