I/II. http://www.asianage.com/india/smriti-irani-meets-rss-leaders-changes-textbooks-841
Smriti Irani meets RSS leaders on changes in textbooks Oct 31, 2014 - Nitin Mahajan <http://www.asianage.com/category/author/nitin-mahajan> | - New Delh <http://www.asianage.com/category/place/new-delhi> Smriti Irani meets RSS leaders on changes in textbooks Senior functionaries of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh met Union human resources development minister Smriti Irani on Thursday to lay stress on an "Indianised education system" and discuss widespread education reforms. The RSS raised concerns that senior historical figures from the organisation were completely ignored in the school and college curricula and that history books were distorted to present only one perspective and ignore others. The RSS leadership is understood to have rooted for proper recognition for the contribution of Hindu culture and religion to nation-building and for a practical, instead of theoretical, approach in the education system. They also said there is a need for moral education in schools and colleges and character-building among students. Senior RSS leaders Suresh Soni, Dattatreya Hosabale and Krishan Gopal were understood to be present at the meeting where the saffron outfit gave its suggestions to rectify "problem areas" in current textbooks. II. http://www.firstpost.com/india/saffron-schoolbooks-smriti-irani-meets-rss-leaders-discuss-education-reforms-1779853.html Saffron schoolbooks? Smriti Irani meets RSS leaders to discuss education reforms by FP Staff <http://www.firstpost.com/author/fp-staff> Oct 30, 2014 14:11 IST Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani reportedly met RSS leaders today to discuss education reforms. The RSS leaders discussed the Indian education system with Irani and gave her suggestions. According to *Headlines Today* reports, the saffron outfits want to rectify UPA wrongs in textbooks. The RSS has been critical of the Congress governments for ignoring the contribution of Hindu culture and religion to nation-building. The RSS has pitched for a practical instead of theoretical approach in the education system, reported *CNN-IBN. * RSS leaders Suresh Soni and Dattatreya Hosabale were part of the meeting with Irani. Earlier, just days after taking over the HRD ministry, <http://www.deccanchronicle.com/140530/nation-current-affairs/article/hrd-minisiter-smriti-irani-wants-ancient-texts-education> Irani had asked officials to develop educational material that encapsulates the contribution of ancient Indians in different fields like science, mathematics, social sciences, philosophy, grammar and language. She is reported to have already set up a committee which will study ancient literary works such as the Upanishads and the Vedas and identify suitable texts highlighting the Hindu contribution to science, mathematics and philosophy. As Hasan Suroor noted in this *Firstpost* article, <http://www.firstpost.com/politics/return-of-saffron-schoolbooks-whos-behind-iranis-plans-1557779.html> *"Saffronisation'' of education has been a pet RSS project dressed up as a campaign to purge textbooks of "foreign'' influences, and to promote "patriotism''. It was taken up with extraordinary zeal by RSS-loyalist Murali Manohar Joshi when he headed the ministry. There was extensive revision of NCERT books and pro-RSS historians were brought in to prepare heavily nationalistic teaching material. Key educational bodies, including the NCERT and the Indian Council of Historical Research, were "reconstituted'' and packed with people sympathetic to the BJP thinking.* Irani's meet with the RSS leaders comes only a day after the Union Human Resources Development Ministry asked the Indian Institutes of Technology to explore setting up separate canteens for its vegetarian students based on the possibility of non-vegetarian food creating *tamas* (dark thoughts) in students. The meeting with the RSS leader to decide on the Indian education system has drawn much flak on social media: Tavleen Singh @*tavleen_singh* <https://twitter.com/tavleen_singh> Follow <https://twitter.com/tavleen_singh> The RSS does not know enough about Indian history to be allowed by the HRD ministry to rewrite it. Bigotry cannot pass for history. 1:10 PM - 30 Oct 2014 <https://twitter.com/tavleen_singh/status/527726646749442049> Snipped -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
