The Hindu : National : Arjun: Congress will remove ‘aberrations’

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Thursday, Dec 13, 2007
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Arjun: Congress will remove ‘aberrations’

Special Correspondent

“No need to change any law to remove such “aberrations”
Defends quota
for Other Backward
Classes

AHMEDABAD: The Congress will remove “aberrations” in educational curricula which extol a mass murderer like Hitler, if voted to power in Gujarat, Union Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh said here on Wednesday.

Talking to journalists, Mr. Singh said though education was on the concurrent list, the States had the freedom to change syllabi to suit their requirements. Political parties were free to develop their ideologies but making a mass murderer like Hitler an icon was a matter of serious concern.

There was no need to change any law to remove such “aberrations,” and any government with “good sense” would do it. If the Congress was voted to power, it would remove such aberrations, extolling Mahatma Gandhi and Hitler in the same breath.

Asked about compulsory yoga courses in primary schools the BJP promised in its election manifesto, Mr. Singh said this was one of the many suggestions the Centre had received but no decision had been taken.

He ruled out the privatisation of primary education which would not be in the country’s interest. The Centre was taking help from the private sector for better educational facilities but total privatisation was not acceptable.He defended the quota for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in institutions of excellence and said that unless all sections enjoyed equal opportunities, there was no alternative but to provide reservation.

The Backward Classes had been suffering inequalities for a very long time and to expect them to compete with others was unfair. Mr. Singh said more facilities would have to be created in the State for technical education.

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