Dhirubhai's life, Modi schemes to be part of school curriculum

The Gujarat government is planning to include yoga and a chapter on doyen of Indian industry, Dhirubhai Ambani, as part of the proposed curriculum for students of over 15,000 secondary and higher secondary schools from the next academic year.

“Other than compulsory learning of yoga, the new curriculum for Class IX could include chapters on many of Modi government’s social programmes as Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao. Chapters on Jnanpith award winning Gujarati writers Umashankar Joshi and Pannalal Patel as well as renowned personalities as Nanji Mehta may also make it to the syllabus, apart from life story of one of India’s most renowned industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani,” sources in state Education Ministry said.

Confirming the possibility of such changes in the syllabus, Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said no decision has been taken yet and the government will build a consensus on proposed changes before introducing these new chapters.

However, he said yoga will be definitely introduced in all government schools from Class IX onwards from the next academic session beginning June 2016. “Even as an expert panel gets busy with finalising the curriculum for teaching yoga, teachers in government schools will be imparted training in yoga and its benefit during forthcoming Diwali break,” he added.

Yoga compulsory

The decision to make Yoga compulsory for school children from Class IX from the next academic year was taken by a panel led by the state education minister. This is also in sync with the announcement made by Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani, making yoga integral part of studies across the Central government-run schools.

Dhirubhai, founder of Reliance, has his roots in Kukaswada village of Junagadh district, where he was born in the year 1932. Though he lived most of his adult and professional life in Mumbai, over two-thirds of his company assets – Petrochemical plants at Hazira or world’s largest Greenfield refinery of Jamnagar – are located in Gujarat. He and his sons – Mukesh and Anil – have always been perceived to be close to political as well as ruling establishment in the state and the country, cutting across party lines.

“Dhirubhai is a self-made man and had achieved success on his own. No one can have any objection to the inclusion of a chapter on his life history in the curriculum to inspire future generations,” Congress spokesperson in the state Manish Doshi said.
No need for hype: Cong.

He, however, said there was no need for the state government to create hype. “The quality of teachers and infrastructure in many of the schools across the state are
in pitiable situation. The government should first focus on building quality classrooms and good teachers,” he added.