A book of 'Indian' holidays without Christmas or Id

July 19, 2012

Mangalore, July 19: A reference book on festivals observed by 'Indians', prescribed by the State government for school libraries across the State, carries in it only those observed by Hindus.

While 30 pages of 'Bharatiyara Habba Haridinagalu' (or Festivals of Indians) are dedicated to explaining Upakarma, there is not a single word on Ramzan, Good Friday, Buddha Purnima, or any non-Hindu festival celebrated in the country.

A December 2011 circular sent by the Directorate of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT) directs primary and high schools to buy at least one copy of the book for their library.

At a voluminous 640 pages, the Kannada book written by Sri Sri Rangapriya, Sanskrit scholar and head of the Ashtangayoga Vijnana Mandiram, Hanumanthnagar, Bangalore, is priced at Rs. 500.

While the cover of the book primarily features Hindu iconography — the sage and the holy cow, 'kalash' (offerings given during a Hindu ritual), a temple gopura and devotees with hands joined in prayer — the rest of the book doesn't deviate from the Hinduism theme.

'Reflecting culture'

The DSERT, in its circular, describes the contents of the book as “reflecting Indian culture”.

Though the title says these are festivals celebrated by Indians, the book manages to cover only the major Hindu religious dates, 23 of them, besides mentioning birthdays of Hindu religious sages.

From festivals such as Ugadi, Ramanavami, Ganesh Chaturthi, Deepavali, Mahashivaratri and Akshaya Tritiya to lesser-known ones such as Subbraya Shrasthi and Rathasaptami, and even religious days observed primarily by the upper castes, such as Chathurmasa, Upakarma, Ananthapadmanabha Vrath and Narasimha Jayanti, are given detailed descriptions in the book.

Why is it that Ramzan, Id-ul-Fitr, Christmas, Good Friday, Buddha Purnima, Mahaveer Jayanti and Guru Nanak Jayanti find no place in the book, asks Nooruddin Salmar of the Dakshina Kannada Congress Minority Committee.

A trend

Talking to The Hindu , Mr. Salmar said the manner in which the order was quietly circulated, pointed to an increasing trend of saffronisation of education and emphasis on the Hindutva agenda seen under the Bharatiya Janata Party government.

“Aren't Muslims, Christians, Jains, Parsis and animist tribes also Indians? Is it right to teach schoolchildren that only Hindus are Indians,” he asked.

Denying a 'saffron tint' to the book, DSERT Director Rama Rao said the book was chosen after the directorate deemed it “educationally suitable” for students.

“All the festivals mentioned in the book are celebrated pan-India. I don't see why anyone has a problem with the title. One has to look at it with an open mind, and we believe the book to have adequate information for students to learn,” Mr. Rao said.

Other festivals

Claiming that the author, perhaps, did not have information on other religious festivals, Mr. Rao said the DSERT would recommend books written by scholars from other religions if they were submitted to the directorate.

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Karnataka to scrap separate entrance exams for private universities from 2025

News Network

September 20,2024

Starting in the 2025-26 academic year, private universities in Karnataka offering professional courses will no longer conduct separate entrance exams. This decision follows a directive from the state’s Higher Education Department, prompting private universities to form an association and agree to this significant change.

In a recent meeting with Higher Education Minister Dr. M. C. Sudhakar, representatives from 17 private universities confirmed their decision to discontinue individual entrance tests. Of the 27 private universities in the state, 17 offer professional courses, and they have collectively agreed to accept scores from existing national or state-level entrance exams.

“Some universities will consider JEE scores, others will rely on KCET, and a few are inclined towards COMEDK,” Dr. Sudhakar stated, leaving the choice of examination to the universities themselves. However, the department has also suggested that the universities consider a unified entrance test for admissions.

Looking ahead, Dr. Sudhakar hinted that the government may introduce a common entrance test for general degree courses at private universities as well. "As government colleges and universities currently don’t require entrance exams for general degree courses, we haven’t made any decisions on this yet," he explained.

The meeting also addressed concerns over the high fees charged by private universities. To regulate this, the universities were instructed to establish fee fixation committees, headed by retired judges, as required by law. These committees will be responsible for determining tuition fees. Additionally, the government will continue to regulate fees for 40% of seats in professional courses that are filled through KCET.

In an effort to bring greater uniformity among private institutions, the government is considering enacting a common law for all private universities, which would replace the individual acts currently governing each university. This would place all private universities under a single regulatory framework.

This move is expected to streamline the admissions process and create a more standardized system for both professional and general degree programs across Karnataka's private universities.

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Rains lash Dakshina Kannada and Udupi amidst red alert

News Network

September 24,2024

Mangaluru, Sept 24: A blanket of gloom descended over Dakshina Kannada and Udupi as heavy rains battered the coastal Karnataka districts on Tuesday. Substantial rainfall has been drenching the region since Monday, intensifying as the day progressed.

In Dakshina Kannada, torrential downpours began early Tuesday, followed by overcast skies and humid conditions.

The showers persisted intermittently through the afternoon, with areas like Beltangady experiencing moderate rainfall, while Puttur and Bellare bore the brunt of heavier storms.

Overnight showers were reported in Bantwal, and Mangaluru city, along with its surrounding rural areas, witnessed a steady increase in rainfall, peaking by the evening.

After a brief respite, the return of intense rainfall has brought a welcome drop in temperatures. In Udupi, Karkala, Udupi city, Kundapur, and Hebri taluks all faced substantial rains throughout the day, continuing from late Sunday night.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for the coastal districts, predicting more heavy rainfall in the coming hours.

A yellow alert has been placed for Wednesday, signaling the likelihood of additional downpours. Fishermen have been cautioned to remain vigilant, as the possibility of strong winds looms over the coastal waters.

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