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Mint
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Mint
2 books discontinued in Rajasthan schools as they glorified Nehru-Gandhi family, says minister
School students in Rajasthan will no longer study two-part supplementary textbooks with state Education Minister Madan Dilawar arguing that these reading materials are not required because they glorify the Nehru-Gandhi family and carry no marks for students. The Congress has attacked the minister over the decision, saying that the government can remove textbooks from the syllabus but cannot change people's minds. The party leaders dubbed the decision 'ridiculous'. Minister Dilawar said that the books 'Azadi ke Baad ka Swarnim Bharat' Part-1 and Part-2 carry no marks and, therefore, he directed the officials of the department to discontinue teaching these books. 'These books, which the previous Congress government introduced, do not carry any marks for the exams. They were only meant for reading. Without any academic weight, there was no point in continuing them so I have directed that the Education Department will not teach such books,' Dilawar said. Stressing that positive things should be taught, he said that the contributions of those who served the country and the state should be equally mentioned but those Congress leaders who imposed the Emergency and killed democracy have been glorified in these textbooks. "The books only glorified Congress leaders, specifically the Gandhi family. Key figures such as Lal Bahadur Shastri, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Dr Ambedkar and even Congress leader Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who later founded the Bharatiya Janata Sangh, were ignored. The textbooks failed to highlight their contributions while extensively promoting the Gandhi family," he said on Thursday. The book talks about the freedom movement, the role of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and others. The book also focuses on the contributions of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. The preface of the book has references to Nehru. "Jawaharlal Nehru was the architect of modern India. He was a great democrat. Nehru's concept of democracy was very dynamic and broad. He considered democracy to be constantly evolving and dynamic. Pt. Nehru had great faith in parliamentary democracy. For him, democracy is a way of life and a way of thinking. The democratic values propounded by Nehru can be seen in the preamble of the Indian Constitution," it said. The books mention various programmes and achievements such as Right to Education and Right to Information among others of the former UPA governments headed by Manmohan Singh. The minister said that talking extensively about certain leaders was glorification and insisted that the book should also have details of the contributions of other leaders. Since it was last revised in 2019, the book also has references to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, demonetisation and GST implementation. In the topic related to demonetisation, the book says, "While announcing demonetisation, Narendra Modi included the benefits of demonetisation from curbing black money to extremism and terrorism. In the initial days of demonetisation, the common people had to face many difficulties. They had to stand in long queues at banks to exchange their currency." Inside the book, there are pictures, including one showing former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh and former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot distributing Aadhar cards. The cover page of Part-1 has a set of four pictures, including one showing Nehru and Mahatma Gandhi while the cover page of Part-2 also has four pictures, including one each of Indira Gandhi and her son Rajiv Gandhi. The minister said that instructions have been given to the Education Department officials to discontinue the books because the textbooks carry no marks. On the expenditure incurred on publishing the books, he said that if poison has been bought by mistake, it does not mean it has to be consumed. "Education should focus on positive content and the Education Department will not promote biased materials," he said. The minister went on to target former prime minister Indira Gandhi, saying that the country was put under a state of emergency for political gains and people were jailed. "The Congress people gave the slogan 'Indira is India, India is Indira'. They ignored the contribution of other leaders," Dilawar said. Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot said that the government's decision was ridiculous. "It is a fact that after Independence, most of the governments were of Congress and the credit for taking this country to historical heights will go to Congress governments and prime ministers. The BJP government cannot hide this truth," Gehlot posted on X. He said that in the Congress rule, scientists also made Chandrayaan and engineers built big factories, dams and institutions. "Our great leaders Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi even sacrificed their lives for this country. Can the BJP government change these facts?" he asked. Gehlot suggested that if the BJP government wants to teach about the NDA rule, then instead of wasting books worth ₹ 2.50 crore, it is better to print extra pages on the NDA rule and send them to schools, telling about their contribution. "But how can it be justified to waste public money by making the books useless?" he asked. Former minister Pratap Singh Khachariawas said that the government can remove textbooks from the syllabus but it cannot change people's minds. "You can change the curriculum but you cannot change people's minds. In the history of the country's Independence, Jawaharlal Nehru has been in jail for years. People have seen the might of Indira Gandhi during the 1971 war when Bangladesh was created. Rajiv Gandhi gave the IT revolution," he said. Rajasthan Congress chief and former education minister Govind Singh Dotasra said that Dilawar has created unnecessary controversy. "The books depict the contribution of great heroes in building a strong India," he said.
Deccan Herald
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
Rajasthan education minister seeks to remove school books that glorify Nehru-Gandhi family
Minister Dilawar said that the books 'Azadi ke Baad ka Swarnim Bharat' Part-1 and Part-2 carry no marks and, therefore, he directed the officials of the department to discontinue teaching these books.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Poison': Rajasthan govt pulls class 11–12 textbooks over 'Gandhi family overdose', says icons like Shastri, Patel, Ambedkar missing
Rajasthan's Education Minister Madan Dilawar has announced the withdrawal of the supplementary textbook Azadi Ke Baad Ka Swarnim Bharat for Classes 11 and 12, alleging that it gives undue emphasis to the Gandhi family while ignoring other national leaders. The two-part book, which has been used in schools for over 20 years, was revised in 2015 and 2019, and serves as non-evaluative reading material for students. According to Dilawar, the book highlights the contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, but neglects other prominent figures such as Lal Bahadur Shastri, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, BR Ambedkar, and BJP leaders like Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Vasundhara Raje. The minister claimed that the book gives the impression that only the Gandhi family played a role in India's progress, which he called 'misleading and disrespectful.' He also pointed out that the book fails to include recent national developments like the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, an event he considers crucial for India's unity and security. Although the textbook was updated in 2019, it only mentions Prime Minister Narendra Modi in five paragraphs and does not include any of his photographs. The text highlights major policy changes like the Swachh Bharat Mission, GST, demonetisation, and the formation of NITI Aayog. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cloud security in action: customer success stories with Orca Security CIO | AWS Learn More Undo Committee formed, but little progress After the BJP-led government under Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma came to power in 2023, a syllabus review was initiated in November 2024. A nine-member panel headed by Prof Kailash Sodani of Vardhman Mahaveer Open University was formed for textbook revision. However, the committee has met only once so far. Despite the book being distributed to 80% of government schools for the current academic year, Dilawar stood by the decision to withdraw it. 'Just because poison is bought doesn't mean it must be consumed,' he said, adding that incomplete or biased content should not be taught in schools. Live Events Political backlash over textbook row The move has triggered political criticism. Chief of the Pradesh Congress Committee Govind Singh Dotasra accused the state government of trying to impose an RSS-backed ideology through education. He argued that the curriculum, revised in 2020, was inclusive and mentioned contributions from various political leaders including Morarji Desai, Manmohan Singh, Indira Gandhi, and Modi. He also slammed the minister for focusing on Modi-centric content, calling it 'dictatorial,' and promised to raise the matter with the Chief Minister's Office. According to Dotasra, the government should focus on education, not politics. Authors defend the textbook Prof Om Prakash Mahla, one of the authors of the book, defended its content. Speaking to TOI, he said the book was prepared without political bias and covered national achievements under various governments, including Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Pokhran nuclear tests. He maintained that the goal was to provide a balanced overview of India's post-independence journey to young learners. Syllabus revision The syllabus revision process is expected to continue, and a new version of the textbook may be issued next academic year. The controversy has reignited the debate over political influence in school education, with stakeholders demanding transparency and inclusivity in curriculum development. Inputs from TOI
Hindustan Times
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Rajasthan minister drops Class 12 book citing ‘Gandhi family bias', Congress reacts
Rajasthan school education minister Madan Dilawar on Thursday announced the withdrawal of two class 12 books citing 'Gandhi family bias', stoking a controversy and prompting a rebuttal from the opposition Congress. Rajasthan education minister Madan Dilawar with CM Bhajanlal Sharma. (PTI) Dilawar alleged that the two-part book 'Azadi Ke Baad Swarnim Bharat', which has been in circulation for over two decades, glorifies some leaders of the Congress, who imposed the Emergency in the country, suspended the Constitution and killed democracy. "It does not talk about the role of great leaders like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Dr BR Ambedkar and Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who later founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. These books only glorify the Gandhi family who imposed the Emergency in the country for their greed and for office," PTI quoted Dilawar as saying. The book has two parts and is part of the non-evaluative reading list for Class 12 students. Dilawar said he wouldn't allow such books to be taught to the kids. "We will not let such books be taught to our students. Also, these books were an addition to the syllabus and do not have weightage for marks in exams. Then why burden students?" Dilawar said, while also adding that people like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and BJP leader Vasundhara Raje Scindia were more deserving of a mention in the book. Congress reacts to Rajasthan dropping book citing Gandhi family bias Congress leader Govind Singh Dotasra issued a strong rebuttal to the Rajasthan education minister saying the book in question promotes the Gandhi family, alleged that Madan Dilawar was whipping up an unnecessary controversy over something which depicts the contribution of "great" Indian heroes. "This is an ideological attack, the narrow thinking of the RSS on the education system," he said. Dotasra claimed that the books in contention were printed with the permission of the BJP government, the education minister, and other government officials. He asked if the minister approved it without understanding, in which case, what kind of minister was he? "The question is, what is the justification for removing these books from the syllabus? 'What flaw is the minister seeing in these books now that he did not see earlier?" Dotasra asked, adding that 80 percent of the books have already been distributed to students. Dotasra said that erasing the contributions of former prime ministers from school books is not just a change in the curriculum but an attempt to change the direction of thought formation in the education system. He accused the state BJP government of conspiring to distort history and make the "hateful thinking" of the RSS a part of the curriculum. He went on to list the contributions of Prime Ministers from Jawaharlal Nehru to Manmohan Singh, accusing the BJP government of trying to erase them. "Does the BJP government want to hide history and truth from students by removing this indelible contribution of the great heroes of the country from the syllabus?" he asked.
Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Rajasthan minister seeks removal of books that glorify Gandhis; Congress slams ‘ideological attack'
A fresh political controversy has erupted in Rajasthan after School Education Minister Madan Dilawar announced plans to remove two books from the Class 12 syllabus, accusing them of disproportionately glorifying Congress leaders — particularly from the Gandhi-Nehru family — while ignoring other national icons. The books in question, Azadi Ke Baad Swarnim Bharat Parts 1 and 2, have been part of the curriculum since the tenure of the previous Congress government. According to Dilawar, they portray Congress leaders in a positive light despite their role in imposing the Emergency, suspending the Constitution, and undermining democracy. 'These books glorify those responsible for the Emergency. They ignore the contributions of great leaders like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Dr BR Ambedkar, and Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, who founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh,' Dilawar told reporters. 'Why are there no references to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 11 years of leadership, or former chief ministers like Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Vasundhara Raje?' Dilawar further stated that since these books do not carry examination weightage, retaining them in the syllabus only adds to the students' burden. He justified the late-stage withdrawal by saying, 'Just because money has been spent printing these books doesn't mean we should serve poison to our children. We are ready to bear the loss to protect students from misinformation. 'The Rajasthan State Textbook Board has already printed 4.90 lakh copies of the books for the 2025 academic session, with 80% reportedly distributed across 19,700 schools. This late removal has sparked criticism over financial wastage and curriculum instability. Reacting sharply, Congress leader Govind Singh Dotasra accused the BJP government of pushing a divisive ideological agenda. 'This is an ideological attack and reflects the narrow-mindedness of the RSS,' he said. 'These books were approved by the previous BJP-led government, including the education department. What changed now?' Dotasra questioned the rationale behind the removal, calling it an attempt to erase the legacy of former Congress prime ministers. 'Is the BJP trying to erase the contributions of Jawaharlal Nehru, who laid the foundation of modern institutions like IITs, IIMs, ISRO, and AIIMS? Are they ignoring Indira Gandhi's leadership during the Bangladesh Liberation War, the Pokhran nuclear test, and the nationalization of banks?' He also defended the legacies of Rajiv Gandhi—who introduced computerisation and strengthened Panchayati Raj—and Manmohan Singh, credited with pioneering India's economic liberalisation. 'By removing these references, is the BJP trying to hide history from our students? This isn't just a change in curriculum—it's an attempt to control the direction of young minds,' Dotasra added. As the debate intensifies, the controversy highlights the ongoing tug-of-war between educational content and political ideology in shaping India's historical narrative. –With PTI Inputs
