The Evening Wrap: NCERT chief rejects charges of saffronisation of school curriculum

Rejecting accusations of saffronisation of school curriculum, NCERT’s director has said that references to Gujarat riots and Babri masjid demolition were modified in school textbooks because teaching about riots “can create violent and depressed citizens.” In an interaction with PTI editors at the agency’s headquarters here on June 15, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) director Dinesh Prasad Saklani said the tweaks in textbooks are part of annual revision and should not be a subject of hue and cry. Asked about references to Gujarat riots or Babri masjid demolition being tweaked in NCERT textbooks, Mr. Saklani said, “Why should we teach about riots in school textbooks? We want to create positive citizens not violent and depressed individuals”. “Should we teach our students in a manner that they become offensive, create hatred in society or become victim of hatred? Is that education’s purpose? Should we teach about riots to such young children...when they grow up, they can learn about it but why school textbooks. Let them understand what happened and why it happened when they grow up. The hue and cry about the changes is irrelevant,” he said. The comments by Mr. Saklani come at a time when new textbooks have hit the market with several deletions and changes. The revised Class 12 political science textbook, does not mention the Babri masjid, but refers to it as a “three-domed structure”. It has pruned the Ayodhya section from four to two pages and deleted details from the earlier version. It instead focuses on the Supreme Court judgement that paved the way for the construction of a Ram temple at the site where the disputed structure once stood before it was torn down by Hindu activists in December 1992. The Supreme Court verdict was widely accepted in the country. The consecration of the Ram idol in the temple was performed on January 22 this year by the prime minister. Amit Shah reviews security situation in Jammu and Kashmir amid recent terror incidents Union Home Minister Amit Shah on June 16 chaired a high level meeting at North Block in New Delhi and reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of several terror incidents in the region recently. The Home Minister also reviewed the preparations for the annual Amarnath pilgrimage scheduled to begin on June 29. Mr. Shah directed the security agencies to replicate the successes achieved in the Kashmir Valley through Area Domination Plan and Zero-Terror Plan in Jammu division also, a senior government official said. He also said the Narendra Modi Government is committed to set an example by cracking down on terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir through innovative means. National Security Advisor Shri Ajit Doval, Lieutenant Governor of J&K Shri Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary Shri Ajay Bhalla, Senior Army Officers including Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande and Chief of Army Staff (Designate) General Upendra Dwivedi, Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, Director General of CRPF Anish Dayal Singh, DG of BSF Nitin Agarwal, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police R.R. Swain and other senior officers attended the meeting. Sources said the Home Minister has been given a thorough briefing on the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir where security forces are expected to intensify counter-terror operations in the coming days. Who will be the new Speaker? NDA members likely to meet before Lok Sabha session starts to decide on its candidate The announcement of the date for the election of a new Speaker for the Lok Sabha has set off speculation over who could occupy that role come June 26, with National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners likely to meet around June 22 or June 23 to decide the alliance’s candidate. While the Janata Dal-United (JD (U)) has stated that a BJP claim on the post would be respected by them, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is speaking of a consensus “NDA candidate”. Matters were complicated by Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who said that the Opposition INDIA bloc will support the the TDP’s choice if the party decided to field a candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker’s election. Mr. Raut said that the Opposition’s support would be forthcoming, apprehending alleged designs by the BJP to break the parties of its allies to shore up its own numbers. “I hear the TDP wants to field its candidate. If that happens, INDIA bloc partners will discuss the issue and will try to ensure that all the INDIA (Indian National Democratic, Inclusive Alliance) partners extend support to the TDP,” he said. He added that the Opposition should get the Deputy Speaker’s post in accordance with the rules, with the Lok Sabha not having had a Deputy Speaker for the past five years. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MP Thambidurai had held the post between 2014-19, but the party had been part of the NDA grouping. India to host its first multinational air exercise Tarang Shakti in August The Indian Air Force’s first multinational air exercise, Tarang Shakti-2024, will be held in August, and is likely to see the participation of ten countries, in addition to a few others acting as observers. “Enriched with the Red Flag exercise experience, the IAF keenly looks forward to hosting the participating contingents from other countries during Tarang Shakti-2024, which is the first ever Indian multinational air exercise to be held later this year,” the IAF said on Sunday in a statement on the just concluded Red Flag exercise hosted by the U.S. Air Force. The plan is to invite friendly foreign countries with whom the IAF interacts regularly and has a certain degree of interoperability, officials said. Tarang Shakti was earlier planned to be held at the end of 2023, but got deferred. The exercise is now scheduled to be held in two phases. The first will be held in southern India in the first two weeks of August and the second will be in the western sector from the end of August to mid-September, officials said. Some countries will participate in both phases, while others will join one of the two phases, it has been learnt. Among the countries sending contingents are Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Germany will deploy fighter jets and also an A-400M transport aircraft, as reported by The Hindu earlier. The A-400M aircraft will be on showcase for the IAF, given that it is a contender for the open tender for medium transport aircraft. Ukraine Peace Conference: 80 countries agree that respect for territorial integrity will help achieve ‘lasting peace in Ukraine’ Eighty countries have jointly called for the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement to end Russia-Ukraine war, though some key developing nations at a Swiss conference did not join in. The joint communique capped a two-day conference at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland marked by the absence of Russia, which was not invited, but that many attendees hoped could join in on a roadmap to peace. About 100 delegations, mostly Western countries but also some key developing nations, were on hand for the conference — and experts were on watch to see how and if at all they might line up behind the outcome document. However, India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates — which were represented by foreign ministers or lower-level envoys — were among those that did not sign onto the final document, which focused on issues of nuclear safety, food security and the exchange of prisoners. Brazil, an “observer” country, did not sign on but, Türkiye, which has sought to an intermediary between Russia and Ukraine, signed the document. In brief Upbeat after its performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls in Haryana, the Congress has stepped up its efforts to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government in the State, where Assembly elections are due later this year. The Congress has kicked off its campaign to reach out to people to keep the momentum going in the run-up to the Assembly polls. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on June 16 said EVMs in India are a “black box” which nobody is allowed to scrutinise, and asserted that “serious concerns” are being raised about transparency in India’s electoral process. “Democracy ends up becoming a sham and prone to fraud when institutions lack accountability,” Mr. Gandhi said and tagged a media report which claimed that a relative of Shiv Sena’s candidate, who won the polls from Mumbai’s north west by 48 votes, had a phone that unlocks an EVM. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 16 June 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( Why should we teach about riots?’: NCERT chief on removal of Babri Masjid references [Rejecting accusations of saffronisation of school curriculum, NCERT’s director has said that references to Gujarat riots]( and Babri masjid demolition were modified in school textbooks because teaching about riots “can create violent and depressed citizens.” In an interaction with PTI editors at the agency’s headquarters here on June 15, National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) director Dinesh Prasad Saklani said the tweaks in textbooks are part of annual revision and should not be a subject of hue and cry. Asked about references to Gujarat riots or Babri masjid demolition being tweaked in NCERT textbooks, Mr. Saklani said, “Why should we teach about riots in school textbooks? We want to create positive citizens not violent and depressed individuals”. “Should we teach our students in a manner that they become offensive, create hatred in society or become victim of hatred? Is that education’s purpose? Should we teach about riots to such young children...when they grow up, they can learn about it but why school textbooks. Let them understand what happened and why it happened when they grow up. The hue and cry about the changes is irrelevant,” he said. The comments by Mr. Saklani come at a time when new textbooks have hit the market with several deletions and changes. The revised Class 12 political science textbook, does not mention the Babri masjid, but refers to it as a “three-domed structure”. It has pruned the Ayodhya section from four to two pages and deleted details from the earlier version. It instead focuses on the Supreme Court judgement that paved the way for the construction of a Ram temple at the site where the disputed structure once stood before it was torn down by Hindu activists in December 1992. The Supreme Court verdict was widely accepted in the country. The consecration of the Ram idol in the temple was performed on January 22 this year by the prime minister. Amit Shah reviews security situation in Jammu and Kashmir amid recent terror incidents [Union Home Minister Amit Shah on June 16 chaired a high level meeting at North Block in New Delhi]( and reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of several terror incidents in the region recently. The Home Minister also reviewed the preparations for the annual Amarnath pilgrimage scheduled to begin on June 29. Mr. Shah directed the security agencies to replicate the successes achieved in the Kashmir Valley through Area Domination Plan and Zero-Terror Plan in Jammu division also, a senior government official said. He also said the Narendra Modi Government is committed to set an example by cracking down on terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir through innovative means. National Security Advisor Shri Ajit Doval, Lieutenant Governor of J&K Shri Manoj Sinha, Union Home Secretary Shri Ajay Bhalla, Senior Army Officers including Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande and Chief of Army Staff (Designate) General Upendra Dwivedi, Director of Intelligence Bureau Tapan Deka, Director General of CRPF Anish Dayal Singh, DG of BSF Nitin Agarwal, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police R.R. Swain and other senior officers attended the meeting. Sources said the Home Minister has been given a thorough briefing on the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir where security forces are expected to intensify counter-terror operations in the coming days. Who will be the new Speaker? NDA members likely to meet before Lok Sabha session starts to decide on its candidate [The announcement of the date for the election of a new Speaker for the Lok Sabha has set off speculation over]( who could occupy that role come June 26, with National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners likely to meet around June 22 or June 23 to decide the alliance’s candidate. While the Janata Dal-United (JD (U)) has stated that a BJP claim on the post would be respected by them, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is speaking of a consensus “NDA candidate”. Matters were complicated by Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who said that the Opposition INDIA bloc will support the the TDP’s choice if the party decided to field a candidate for the Lok Sabha Speaker’s election. Mr. Raut said that the Opposition’s support would be forthcoming, apprehending alleged designs by the BJP to break the parties of its allies to shore up its own numbers. “I hear the TDP wants to field its candidate. If that happens, INDIA bloc partners will discuss the issue and will try to ensure that all the INDIA (Indian National Democratic, Inclusive Alliance) partners extend support to the TDP,” he said. He added that the Opposition should get the Deputy Speaker’s post in accordance with the rules, with the Lok Sabha not having had a Deputy Speaker for the past five years. All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) MP Thambidurai had held the post between 2014-19, but the party had been part of the NDA grouping. India to host its first multinational air exercise Tarang Shakti in August [The Indian Air Force’s first multinational air exercise, Tarang Shakti-2024, will be held in August]( and is likely to see the participation of ten countries, in addition to a few others acting as observers. “Enriched with the Red Flag exercise experience, the IAF keenly looks forward to hosting the participating contingents from other countries during Tarang Shakti-2024, which is the first ever Indian multinational air exercise to be held later this year,” the IAF said on Sunday in a statement on the just concluded Red Flag exercise hosted by the U.S. Air Force. The plan is to invite friendly foreign countries with whom the IAF interacts regularly and has a certain degree of interoperability, officials said. Tarang Shakti was earlier planned to be held at the end of 2023, but got deferred. The exercise is now scheduled to be held in two phases. The first will be held in southern India in the first two weeks of August and the second will be in the western sector from the end of August to mid-September, officials said. Some countries will participate in both phases, while others will join one of the two phases, it has been learnt. Among the countries sending contingents are Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Germany will deploy fighter jets and also an A-400M transport aircraft, as reported by The Hindu earlier. The A-400M aircraft will be on showcase for the IAF, given that it is a contender for the open tender for medium transport aircraft. Ukraine Peace Conference: 80 countries agree that respect for territorial integrity will help achieve ‘lasting peace in Ukraine’ [Eighty countries have jointly called for the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine to be the basis for any peace agreement]( end Russia-Ukraine war, though some key developing nations at a Swiss conference did not join in. The joint communique capped a two-day conference at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland marked by the absence of Russia, which was not invited, but that many attendees hoped could join in on a roadmap to peace. About 100 delegations, mostly Western countries but also some key developing nations, were on hand for the conference — and experts were on watch to see how and if at all they might line up behind the outcome document. However, India, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates — which were represented by foreign ministers or lower-level envoys — were among those that did not sign onto the final document, which focused on issues of nuclear safety, food security and the exchange of prisoners. Brazil, an “observer” country, did not sign on but, Türkiye, which has sought to an intermediary between Russia and Ukraine, signed the document. In brief [Upbeat after its performance in the recent Lok Sabha polls in Haryana]( the Congress has stepped up its efforts to take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party government in the State, where Assembly elections are due later this year. The Congress has kicked off its campaign to reach out to people to keep the momentum going in the run-up to the Assembly polls. [Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on June 16 said EVMs in India are a “black box” which nobody is allowed to scrutinise]( and asserted that “serious concerns” are being raised about transparency in India’s electoral process. “Democracy ends up becoming a sham and prone to fraud when institutions lack accountability,” Mr. Gandhi said and tagged a media report which claimed that a relative of Shiv Sena’s candidate, who won the polls from Mumbai’s north west by 48 votes, had a phone that unlocks an EVM. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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