Kerala Challenges Central Educational Policies with Textbook Updates

In a notable move, Kerala Education Minister V Sivankutty has revealed plans to incorporate the powers and duties of governors into school textbooks. Sivankutty emphasized that this step is part of a broader revision to reinforce constitutional values within the state's curriculum. He highlighted the increasing challenges posed by the alleged attempts to destabilize elected governments through the role of governors, underscoring the importance of educating students about democratic principles from a young age. The updated curriculum will specifically address the constitutional authority of governors in the second volume of Social Science for the current academic year, extending to higher secondary revisions.

Further, Minister Sivankutty launched a strong criticism of the central government's decision to assign Hindi titles to English-medium NCERT textbooks. Labelling the move as counterfederal, Sivankutty informed that a letter of protest had been dispatched to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. This contentious issue is poised to be a focal point in the forthcoming NCERT meeting, signaling potential tensions between state and central educational authorities.

The controversy over language in education gained new momentum following NCERT's release of new textbook titles, such as 'Mridang' and 'Santoor', replacing familiar names with Hindi ones. This development stirred opposition from several state leaders, including Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin, who accused the central government of Hindi imposition. The debate underscores the broader friction over the National Education Policy 2020, spotlighting regional autonomy versus central mandates in shaping educational content. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)