Expert committee to review books bought by Maharashtra government for schools

A day after the Opposition slammed the state education department over purchase of non-educational books from an Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliated body, which allegedly had objectionable content, education minister Vinod Tawde dismissed the claims, and said the department will ask an expert committee to review the books and take a decision.

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According to leader of opposition in the legislative assembly, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, the book called ‘Bal Nachiket’, which is meant for Classes 4 to 5, talks about ‘pre-marital sex’ and ‘loss of virginity’. Published by Bharatiya Vichar Saadhana, Pune, the book, will be kept in libraries for the students of Classes 1 to 5.

Addressing the media, Tawde claimed that Vikhe Patil quoted a different book, and the one approved for circulation in schools did not contain any such objectionable language. “It is not the same book. Those books (which Vikhe Patil quoted from) were circulated for adults at the Kumbh Mela. The publisher has removed words that are not required for the children’s book,” Tawde said.

According to Tawde, the books, that will be circulated by the education department, do not contain the words that the Opposition claimed. “A technical committee looked at the content. Whatever allegations the Opposition have levelled, there is no such thing in the book. We will ask experts to look at the books again,” Tawde added.

Another allegation that Vikhe Patil made was that the department has more religious books than historical ones.However, said that they have books on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, and many others. “The Opposition also claimed that books on PM Modi is being made a part of the curriculum,but that is not true. These books are for extra reading, and only two will be given to the library of each school,” Tawde said.