Writings of Kambar & Karnad introduced in revised Kannada language school text books

Bengaluru: Writings of Jnanpith awardees Chandrashekhar Kambar and Girish Karnad, and Padma Shri award winner Devanuru Mahadeva have been introduced in a revised Kannada language school textbooks as per the guidelines of National Curriculum Framework-2005 by the Textbook Revision Committee (TRC) of Karnataka Textbook Society.

The TRC said it has revised the entire chapter of ‘Namma Hemmeya Rajya Karnataka’ in the sixth standard Kannada book with more details and pictures.

“Details and photographs of Chandrashekhar Kambar, Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, H L Nage Gowda, Dr Siddalingaiah, Sri Siddeshwara Swami, Shantaveri Gopalagouda and Gavimatha of Koppal have also been included,” TRC said in a statement.

The ancient dynasties of south India and royal families of north India have been discussed in the book. Also, a chapter on Vedic culture and the rise of new religions have been included in the 6th standard book. In the same book, rights of the sexuality minorities have been included in the chapter on equality.

The title of a chapter ‘religion’ in 7th standard Kannada book has been changed to ‘Dharmagalu’ and ‘Vishwaguru Basaveshwara’ has been recorded in the same book as ‘Cultural Leader’ (Samskrutika Nayaka).

In the 8th standard Kannada textbook, the title of a chapter ‘Jain and Buddhist sects’ has been changed to ‘Jain and Buddhist religions’.

In 9th standard textbook, the 15th-16th Century AD saint-poet Kanaka Dasa and his contemporary Purandara Dasa along with 19th Century AD saint-poet Santa Shishunala Sharifa have been included in the chapter titled ‘Bhakti Pantha’ (Devotional Path).

Kambar’s ‘Seeme’, Karnad’s ‘Adhikara’, along with Devidasa’s Chakragrahana, M Mariappa Bhat’s ‘Namma Bhashe’, A N Murthy Rao’s ‘Vyaghra Geete’, Mahadeva’s ‘Edege Bidda Akshara’ and ‘Vachanas’ of Akka Mahadevi have been included in the textbooks for Class-8 to Class-10.