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.