Reacting to the report published in this newspaper on Friday, the government tried to downplay the stand of its key ally, the Trinamul Congress, to the proposed National Textbook Council.
Speaking to reporters, Union human resources development minister Kapil Sibal claimed that the resistance to the council was coming more from Opposition parties than from within the United Progressive Alliance.
“The protest is not coming from within (from UPA) but more from there (from the Opposition parties),” Mr Sibal said.
The human resources development minister said that opposing anything for the sake of opposition has become a policy in India democracy.
“If the Opposition decides that opposition is their policy, then nothing will move forward.”
Mr Sibal’s reaction came after a report in this newspaper which had revealed the Trinamul Congress’ opposition to the proposed council which seeks to monitor the content of school textbooks across the country.
While opposing the proposal, the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government has stated that “instead of strengthening the National Council of Education Research and Training and SCERTs to take care of the additional task of monitoring violation of norms, creating another central council is not convincing.”
The HRD ministry’s proposal to set up the council has hit a roadblock following stiff opposition from the TMC, BJD, JD(U), AIADMK, BSP and the BJP-ruled states.
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and former Union HRD minister Murli Manohar Joshi also voiced his opposition to the proposed council.
“This is a federal structure and education is in the concurrent list and therefore states should be consulted. They (the HRD ministry) should not behave like policeman. NCERT prepares textbooks. Let them concentrate on that,” he said.
The council, aimed to create a body that will monitor the content of school textbooks, including those taught at schools run by religious organisations, has not found support amongst the state governments.
Though the proposal was first put forth during the tenure of Arjun Singh under UPA-1, it was renewed after present incumbent Kapil Sibal took office.