Will remove 'saffronisation' from textbooks, says revision panel chief

December 21, 2015

Bengaluru, Dec 21: Kannada writer Baraguru Ramachandrappa, who heads the Textbook Revision Committee formed by the State government, has reassured that any instance of saffronisation in school textbooks would be removed and no influence of any political party allowed to creep into the syllabus.

“Be it saffronisation or Congressisation, no influence of any political party will be allowed in the textbooks,” he told reporters on the sidelines of a programme on ‘School textbooks based on scientific and democratic principles’ organised by the All India Save Education Committee here on?Sunday.

Prof Ramachandrappa asserted that if there was any hint of the government pressuring him to do otherwise, he would “step down from the post of the chairman of the Textbook Revision Committee.”

Pointing to a number of errors in textbooks, he said the committee would not only correct them but also rewrite whole chapters and even change the syllabus if needed.?A government order in this regard has already been issued, he added. He also revealed a proposal to rename the committee?‘Comprehensive Review and Restructuring Committee.’

The government had appointed 185 members to 27 committees to revise 352 titles in seven mediums of instruction to review textbooks. While textbooks for the year 2016 will have minor changes, the full changes will be brought in from 2017, he added.

Prof Ramachandrappa also suggested that the government scrap the Right to Education (RTE) Act in Karnataka, saying it “encouraged” privatisation of school education and “weakened” government schools. “Private schools have been reimbursed Rs 165 crore for enrolling poor students under the RTE quota. This money could instead have been used to improve government schools,” he said.

Baraguru Ramach¬a¬n¬¬drappa, Kannada writer: Private schools have been reimbursed

Rs 165 crore for enrolling poor students under the RTE quota. This money could

instead have been used to improve government schools.

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Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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