Jaipur

On Wednesday, Rajasthan’s Education Minister Madan Dilawar announced that school textbooks glorifying the 2002 Godhra incident will no longer be used in state schools. He pointed out that certain books had celebrated the perpetrators of the incident during the previous Congress government’s rule. To prevent misinformation, the state government has decided to recall four specific books that had already been distributed to government schools.

The Rajasthan School Education Council has instructed District Education Officers to withdraw copies of Jeevan Ki Bahar, Chitti Ek Kutta Aur Uska Jungle Farm, and Adrishya Log—Story of Hope and Courage, which were included in the curriculum for grades 9 to 12. The Education Minister attributed the selection of these controversial texts to the previous administration, asserting that they portrayed criminals as heroic figures.

In Invisible People – Story of Hope and Courage, the Godhra train fire is described as a terrorist act. Meanwhile, plans are underway to introduce a new chapter on ‘Gau Mata’ (Mother Cow) in primary school curricula, with videos about Gau Mata set to be shown to students of all ages. Dilawar emphasized the importance of protecting and honoring Gau Mata, stating, She benefits us even after death. Discussions with scholars and subject experts are in progress to incorporate this topic into education.