Book Revision, APMC, Prohibition of Conversion Act: Important decisions of Siddaramaiah cabinet
Bangalore, June. 16: Many important decisions were taken in the Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Vidhansouda on Thursday. The cabinet has given approval for revising textbooks, amending the Prohibition of Conversion Act, repealing the amendment of the APMC Act.
The Cabinet meeting decided to repeal the PMC Acts. Also, Law Minister HK Patil said after the cabinet meeting that the cabinet has decided to cancel the revision of the school text book done by the previous government and continue with the previous text.
Important decisions of the Cabinet meeting
Formation of committee for textbook revision and distribution of supplementary books
*This year’s textbook has already been distributed to children. So the cabinet meeting has decided to provide a 15 page supplementary book of essential lessons to the children to remove the misunderstandings.
*The expert committee of 5 people has made changes in the words and sentences of classes 6 to 10 in Kannada and social science subjects, and the Cabinet has agreed to this. These books will be distributed to 75,000 schools including PUC.
* The changes made by the previous government have been revised and it will have guidelines that tell the teachers what to teach.
It is compulsory to read the Preamble of the Constitution in schools and colleges
* The Cabinet has agreed to make the Preamble of the Constitution mandatory to be read in all aided, non-aided, government, private schools-colleges and universities and to put a picture of the preamble in all government offices/departments in order to understand the wishes of the Constitution, the basic objectives of the constitution and to enable all castes and religions to be treated equally.
* An important decision was taken in the Cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to repeal the Prohibition of Conversion Act which was made during the previous BJP government.
*Cabinet approves Karnataka Religious Freedom Protection Bill-2023. The amendment brought by the previous government in 2020-22 to this act has been cancelled.
* Decision to buy rice from neighboring states to implement Annabhagya Yojana.
* The Cabinet has approved the repeal of the amendment to the APMC Act in the interest of the farmers of the country.
*Decision to raise administrative expenses limit for Chief Justice of High Court to Rs 28 crore.
*Cabinet has agreed to organize Tech Summit by IT/BT Department (Bangalore and other districts) through ECMA.
*The cabinet approved the revised estimate of Rs 1,081 crore for filling 243 mld water in 70 lakes of the minor irrigation department. Project to fill Vrishabhavati river water to 70 lakes in Bengaluru city, Ben. Gramantara, Chikkaballapur.
* Chief Minister permits to fill up three vacant posts of members in Karnataka Public Service Commission
* Cabinet approves proposal to grant Rs 17.9 crore for holding Bangalore Tech Summit
* Permission to form a cabinet sub-committee to issue directives regarding natural disaster management
* Rs 28 crore for purchase of double decker, electric buses
The Karnataka Cabinet on June 15 approved the revision of Kannada and Social Science textbooks for classes six to ten in the state. RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar and Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar’s texts are omitted. Letters written by social reformers Savitribai Phule, Nehru to Indira Gandhi and B.R. Agreed to include chapters on poems about him.
The Congress, in its election manifesto, had promised to reverse the changes made in school textbooks during the BJP’s rule and promised to scrap the National Education Policy (NEP). Primary and Secondary Education Minister Kumar Bangarappa said that the Congress had promised in its manifesto to revise the textbook and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had consistently given guidance in this regard.