E-Paper
History book: HC notice to NCERT
HEARING A public interest litigation (PIL) petition, seeking ban on ?Ancient India?, a history text book for class XI written by Prof Ram Sharan Sharma and published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training, the Allahabad High Court has issued notice to the NCERT, directing it to file a reply. The court also directed the Government of India, State Government, and Ram Sharan Sharma of Patna, Bihar, to file reply in this case within six weeks. The court directed to list this case after six weeks.
HEARING A public interest litigation (PIL) petition, seeking ban on ‘Ancient India’, a history text book for class XI written by Prof Ram Sharan Sharma and published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training, the Allahabad High Court has issued notice to the NCERT, directing it to file a reply.
The court also directed the Government of India, State Government, and Ram Sharan Sharma of Patna, Bihar, to file reply in this case within six weeks. The court directed to list this case after six weeks.
The PIL filed by Satya Sanatan Dharm Dharmatma Kalyan Samiti, Param Dham, Chhatnag, Jhunsi, Allahabad, alleged that the aforesaid book had denounced the existence, presence and identity of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna. Thus, according to the PIL, it had insulted and damaged the faith and belief of modern Hindu worshippers and followers of Lord Rama and Lord Krishna. This order was passed by a Division Bench comprising Justice Ajoy Nath Ray and Justice Ashok Bhushan after hearing the counsel for the petitioner Rajeshwar Yadav.
In the PIL, the petitioner requested the court to issue a writ of mandamus to the Government of India through the Ministry of Human Resource and Development and the State government through the chief secretary to impose total and complete ban on printing and publication of ‘Ancient India’. The book is published, distributed and circulated by NCERT, New Delhi.
CMO’s transfer
THE ALLAHABAD High Court has issued mandamus directing the State government to post the petitioner, Dr Nishar Ahmad, former CMO of Allahabad, on the post of joint director or on any equivalent post, at Allahabad within a period of one week.
Passing this decision, a Division Bench comprising Justice VM Sahai and Justice Barkat Ali Zaidi observed that Dr Nishar Ahmad was going to retire on July 6 and will superannuate on July 31.
They said the objection that the petitioner was posted at Allahabad for more than 14-15 years while as per the rules, no one could be posted at one station for more than 10 years did not hold good in view of another rule not to transfer an official within one year of his retirement. If he was not transferred for 14-15 years from a particular station, he should not have been transferred only when one year or so was left in his retirement, they said.
The judges said the objection of his representation by the respondent principal secretary was grossly erroneous.
The petitioner, posted as CMO Allahabad, was transferred to Varanasi with only few months remaining for his retirement. He moved representation before the principal secretary, Health Services, UP, which was rejected. Hence he filed the present writ petition.
