The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Experts' panel to examine textbooks

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jul 26, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Experts' panel to examine textbooks

Special Correspondent

The committee will look for communal comments

Thangam Thennarasu

CHENNAI: School Education Minister Thangam Thennarasu on Tuesday said that a committee of experts would examine all textbooks to look for communal comments.

Intervening in the budget debate in the State Assembly, the Minister said that the Government was working on the constitution of the committee and all the school textbooks would come under the scrutiny. The Committee would also examine the syllabus to decide if it was too heavy. He later said that he had received many complaints to the effect that the students could not cope with some of the subjects. Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi promised that boards in temples announcing that `archana' would also be done in Tamil would be removed. It was true that a Tamil could not feel happy about the boards, he said when T.Velmurugan (PMK) brought the issue to his notice in the Assembly on Tuesday.

On Mr.Velmurugan's demand that Thevaram and Tiruvasagam should be allowed to be sung in Chidambaram temple, Mr.Karunanidhi said that the place was run by Chidambaram Dikshithars. He would discuss the legal aspects of the issue and examine what could be done.

Mr.Velmurugan also highlighted the heavy donations collected by many schools and wanted the Government to take action against such blatant commercialisation of education.

He wanted a special package for the people of his constituency since groundwater was being pumped out from his constituency to quench Chennai's thirst.

He also wanted the Government to table an action taken report at the end of the year to tell people how many of the schemes announced in the budget had been completed.

D. Ravikumar (DPI) wanted the Government to consider handing over operation of PDS shops to Self Help Groups. As a pilot project, a few shops could be handed over. If this was successful, then the scheme could be extended, he said.

Citing the problems encountered in obtaining a community certificate, Mr.Ravikumar wanted the Government to simplify the procedure for Scheduled Tribes.

He thanked the Government for having extended a helping hand to Sri Lankan refugees and requested the Government to bring pressure on the Centre to sign the United Nations Convention on Refugees.

He requested the Government to host an `inclusive' World Tamil Conference.

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