Home » Telangana » Congress Government Recalls Textbooks Carrying Kcrs Photo In Telangana Brs Is Unamused

Telugu textbooks in Telangana carry KCR’s name, state government embarrassed

The government distributed books to students on Thursday when schools across the state opened after summer vacation.

Published Jun 14, 2024 | 10:01 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 14, 2024 | 4:45 PM

KCR on commission probing power sector irregularities

KCR at an election rally. (Supplied)

In a goof-up, Telugu textbooks carrying the previous year’s foreword referring to K Chandrashekar Rao as the Chief Minister were used in this year’s books causing embarrassment to the Congress government in Telangana.

Books for classes 1 to 10, carrying the old foreword, were also distributed to students of state-run schools when they reopened on June 12 after the summer vacation.

Sources on Friday claimed that the officials initially sought the textbooks to be returned but now suggested pasting the foreword page on the backside of the (inner) cover page so that the reference to the previous government is not visible.

When contacted, a senior education department official said a particular textbook was not distributed to students as some rectifications are to be carried out but did not elaborate.

Controversy in #Telangana‘s education system: #Telugu subject textbooks found featuring political figures’ names, including former CM KCR in the foreword.

Commissioner of the Education Department directs retrieval for updates, sparking debates on neutrality. Former Education… pic.twitter.com/diWMdyyf45

— South First (@TheSouthfirst) June 13, 2024

BRS MLA and former education minister P Sabita Indra Reddy asked whether it was justified to “withdraw the books or tear off the pages or paste another page on it because they had KCR’s name”.

She said that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin had shown dignity by allowing distribution of books and bags that had former CM Jayalalithaa’s image after he assumed office.

In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu behaved with a lot of dignity by allowing distribution of kits that had his predecessor YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s image, thus preventing waste of public money, Sabita Indra Reddy said on social media platform X.

The Congress government should “keep aside” its intention to remove references to KCR and focus on governance, she said.

తెలంగాణ రాష్ట్రం లో పాఠ్యపుస్తకాలని వెనక్కి తెప్పించుకొని ప్రజాధనం వృధా చేసిన దాని పైన మాజీ మంత్రి పి సబితా ఇంద్రారెడ్డి గారి స్పందన. pic.twitter.com/P63DX3QFcl

— Sabitha Reddy (@BrsSabithaIndra) June 13, 2024

The government distributed books to students on Thursday when schools across the state opened after summer vacation.

The Telangana State United Teachers Federation on Friday sought the state government to conduct an inquiry and take action against officials who are responsible for the error.

The Federation General Secretary Chava Ravi alleged that the error was due to the negligence of the officials of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

He said the government should inquire into the matter and take action against those responsible.

Ravi recalled that, in another act of alleged negligence, the Preamble of the Constitution was published on the cover page of a school textbook without the words ‘socialist’ and ‘secular’ last year.