HRD Min Smriti Irani wants ancient texts included in school syllabi

Even as controversy around Smriti Irani’s educational qualification dies down, recent reports claim that the newly appointed HRD minister has started working towards including ancient Hindu texts in the education system, possibly part of school syllabus. The Deccan Chronicle reported that Irani has directed HRD officials to develop material which shows the contribution of ancient India to various fields like science, philosophy, language and mathematics, while material being considered includes Hindu texts like Vedas and Upanishads. [caption id=“attachment_1547905” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  HRD minister Smriti Irani. AFP[/caption] “To deflect criticism, the Modi government is likely to hold wide consultations with academics and others before going ahead with the move,” the report says. Recently, Dinanath Batra who belongs is a pracharak with Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas (SSUN), an RSS affiliate, told the Times of India that he intended to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the swearing-in to demand a revamp of school textbooks. Batra, the report says, was responsible for the “saffronisation of education” during the previous NDA regime. “NCERT textbooks will be rewritten according to the aim and objects of the nation so that it inculcates feeling of patriotism among children. Modernity is not westernisation. We want modernity with Indian base,” TOI quoted Batra as saying.