Amid controversy over textbook revisions in Karnataka, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday said the state government is “open to revising the textbooks”.
Speaking to a media persons in Davanagere, the chief minister said he has also spoken to the primary education minister BC Nagesh in this regard. “The government is open to revising textbooks. I have spoken to the education minister. We are open to suggestions,” he said.
The chief minister said, “The government is open to correcting mistakes regarding textbook revision. Details are also provided on the department’s website.”
Earlier in the first week of June, the state government announced the dissolution of the state textbook review committee. Bommai said the committee has been disbanded since its designated work had concluded and emphasised that the state government was open to further revision in case of any objectionable content.
Several seers and prominent personalities had objected to a move by the state government to revise a chapter on the 12th-century reformist Basavanna.
Notably, a section of seers alleged that social reformer Basavanna’s teachings have been distorted in the revised Kannada and social science textbooks for Class X students.
The seers also accused the review committee of insulting poet Kuvempu’s state anthem.
{{/usCountry}}The seers also accused the review committee of insulting poet Kuvempu’s state anthem.
{{/usCountry}}The state government issued a clarification that the distorted state anthem was not part of any textbook. Bommai also informed that a chapter on Kempe Gowda, the founder of Bengaluru, has been added to the textbook.
Expressing confidence that Karnataka’s DPR on the Mekedatu project will get approval, chief minister Basavaraj Bommai on Thursday termed Tamil Nadu’s objections to Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) discussing the project at its meeting in New Delhi as “illegal” and “meaningless”.
He reiterated that CWMA has the powers to discuss and decide on the matter. “We need not respond to everything they (TN) say; there is no stay from the Supreme Court; already the matter has been referred to CWMA; 15 meetings have taken place, and CWMA has the powers and accordingly it may call a meeting next week. We have put forward our case and we are confident about our DPR getting approved,” Bommai said.
Addressing reporters here, he said there was nothing that was legal or has any meaning in what Tamil Nadu was saying.
Bommai was responding to a question regarding Tamil Nadu water resources minister Duraimurugan taking strong exception to his statement on the neighbouring state’s (TN) letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention to restrain the CWMA from discussing the Mekedatu project in its meeting next week.