MP govt to make biography of Savarkar a part school syllabus

Madhya Pradesh will make the biography of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar a compulsory subject for students, according to the state's education minister. The decision has been criticized by the opposition Congress party.

Updated on: Jun 30, 2023, 01:12:40 IST

By Shruti Tomar, BHOPAL

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Madhya Pradesh will teach the biography of Hindutva ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar as a compulsory subject for students of the state board, school education minister Inder Singh Parmar announced on Thursday.

Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (Hindustan Times)

Talking to the media in Bhopal, Parmar said, “He [Savarkar] had a remarkable contribution in India’s independence... he deserves the respect... Unfortunately, Congress did not teach about the true Indian revolutionaries...”

The announcement came after MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan earlier this year announced that Gita, and life stories of personalities like Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru will be included in the state board syllabus.

The details of the process for the implementation are yet to be made public. However, a school education department official on condition of anonymity said, “We are following NCERT books so there is no chance of changing the syllabus but the life stories of all the great people will be taught separately as moral science,” the official added.

Congress hit out at the BJP-led state government over the decision. “Teaching Savarkar is an insult to the brave martyrs because Savarkar wrote an apology to the British for being released from jail...,” MP Congress Committee spokesperson KK Mishra said.

The state is set to go to the polls later this year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shruti Tomar
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.Read More

Follow India news real-time updates and the latest news covered on Hindustan Times, featuring today's critical updates on Sonam Wangchuk LIVE and more across India.