Akbar no longer great, Shivaji replaces him in MP texts

For students of Madhya Pradesh, Akbar will not be a great king anymore. Maratha warrior Shivaji will soon replace the Mughal Emperor.

The chapters in the text books would now show Mughal emperor in poor light due to his ancestors' foreign origin. However, the Maratha chieftain Shivaji and other 'Hindu' kings would be raised to a higher pedestal.

Also, the lessons on Hindu sages would be incorporated. And Aryabhatta would replace Galileo as the 'first person to discover that earth was round and spherical'. The 'fact' that Kanad Rishi discovered atom, 14 centuies before Dalton, would also be taught to students.

SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) was working for the last couple of years to 'improve' the curriculum and its Director Bhagirath Kumrawat says that hitherto the students were getting education in proper way. Now the education would be in accordance with Indian culture and traditions, he adds. The text books are ready and will be in the market in the next couple of days.

Yet another blow for BJP

Close on the heels of the defeat in Shivpuri by-polls, the State BJP has suffered another jolt in Itarsi where it lost the post of municipal corporation chairman.

Congress candidate Ashok Sahu beat BJP's Padma Prakash Soni by a margin of 1420 votes. The post was vacated following the demise of Prakash Soni. His wife was given the ticket by BJP. However, despite the ruling party putting in immense efforts, they lost the election.

After the drubbing received in Shivpuri, the BJP has suffered a setback again. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has given shikshakarmis a bonanza, by upgrading 'Shikhakarmis' to the post of teachers and increasing their pay. More sops might come for various sections of the society as the feeling would sink in that the electorate is losing faith in the party. In Shivpuri by-election, Jyotiradiyta Scindia had got the credit for victory and here it is Union Minister Sursh Pachauri, whose stature has risen with this win.

American 'missionary' attacked in Raipur

Unidentified persons attacked Steve Ellison, an American, settled in India, and injured him when he was taking a walk in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh.

It is believed that BJP-supported Dharam Sena activists could be behind the attack. Several attacks on foreigners have occurred in Raipur lately by organisations who are against conversion of tribals to Christianity. Steve, 55, a diabetic, was taking a walk when he was attacked.

He was beaten up and attacked with a heavy object in the head. He lost consciousness and was admitted to the hospital. American embassy has got in touch with local authorities over the issue. The activists who attacked Elison in Pandri area, had asked him to go back to the country, he came from. The State Home minister has described the incident has unfortunate and said that action would be taken against the guilty after their identity is established.

CM's love for flying

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was given the nick name 'Paon Paon wale bhaiya', for going to far-flung areas on foot, and touring the distant villages of his constituency, has now begun to enjoy flying.

Not even car or rail, the Chief Minister now prefers to fly. His love for helicopter has grown. Recently he had to go t Mangalore and was invited for a Cow Convention, which was to be held 150 km near Mangalore.

So the helicopter was sent from Bhopal to Mangalore, an eight-hours journey for which fuel was burnt, so that the CM could fly from Mangalore to the venue of convention, which was barely a 2 hr drive by road, reports Dainik Bhaskar. "Just for a function of 1-2 hrs, helicopter had to fly for 16 hrs (to and fro)', writes the paper on Monday.

IAS officer Vijay Patidar's demise stuns

Vijay Patidar, who had the image of an upright officer, recently passed away in America. What he did to deserve such an untimely death, remark many citizens. 'Why is that the corrupt don't even catch fever but the honest either die or suffer in other ways'.