School Education Minister Madan Dilawar has provoked a fresh political controversy in Rajasthan after announcing a plan to remove two books from the syllabus of class 12, in which he was accused of glorifying the Congress leaders-ignoring the Gandhi-Nehru family-Anya national icon.
Books in question, self -crammum after independence, Part 1 and 2, have been part of the syllabus since the tenure of the previous Congress government. According to Dilawar, they portray Congress leaders in positive light, despite their role in implementing the Emergency, suspending the Constitution and reducing democracy.
“These books glorify those responsible for the Emergency. They ignore the contribution of great leaders like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Dr. Bombedkar, and Dr. Sayma Prasad Mukarji, who established the Indian Jana Sangh,” said Dilawar. “Why is there no reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 11 -year leadership, or former Chief Minister like Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and Vasundhara Raje?”
Dilawar further said that since these books do not take the exam weightage, keeping them in the course only connects the burden of students. He justified the late starting return by saying this, “Just because the money has been spent in printing these books, this does not mean that we should serve poison to our children. We are ready to bear the loss to save students from wrong information.
“Rajasthan State Textbook Board has already printed 4.90 lakh copies of books for the 2025 academic session, 80% has allegedly distributed to 19,700 schools. This late removal has been criticized for financial wastage and course volatility.
Reacting fast, Congress leader Govind Singh Dotasara accused the BJP government of advancing a divisive ideological agenda. “This is an ideological attack and reflects the narrowness of the RSS,” he said. “These books were approved by the previous BJP -led government, including the Department of Education. What has changed now?”
Dotasara questioned the argument behind the removal, called it an attempt to eradicate the legacy of former Prime Ministers of Congress. “Is the BJP trying to erase the contribution of Jawaharlal Nehru, who laid the foundation of modern institutions like IIT, IIM, ISRO and AIIMS? Is they ignoring Indira Gandhi’s leadership during Bangladesh Liberation War, Pokhran nuclear tests and nationalization of banks?”
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He also defended Rajiv Gandhi’s legacy – who launched computerization and strengthened the Panchayati Raj – and Manmohan Singh credited India’s economic liberalization.
“By removing these references, the BJP is trying to hide history from our students? It’s not just a change in the course – it’s an attempt to control the direction of the young mind,” said Dotasara.
As the debate intensifies, the controversy throws light on the tug-off-war between educational material and political ideology in shaping India’s historical story.
-Jait PTI inputs
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