A close reading of the Political Science textbook shows that it is complex, moves beyond pat answers, and treats the Constitution as a living document. It was produced in the light of the National Curriculum Framework 2005, which in itself was a major attempt to democratise education, and reverse the National Curriculum Framework 2000 which was casteist and sexist. Kumkum Roy (kumkumr@yahoo.com) is with the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru...

The thrust of my argument is not “clear,” alas, even to a person of Neeladri Bhattacharya's perspicacity. It is not “to declare illegitimate the arguments against government action on the recent textbook controversy”: I have explicitly criticised the “government action” in a collective public statement (The Hindu, May 17, 2012). But I oppose the view, frequently articulated in the media, that Parliament's jurisdiction must not extend to questions of curricula and...

-The Hindu The organising secretary of the All-India Forum for Right to Education, D. Ramesh Patnaik, has expressed fears that the much-debated legislation that promises universal education might end up facilitating greater commercialisation of education. Speaking at a seminar here on Friday, organised by Karnataka Janashakti, he cited several provisions in the Right to Education (RTE) Act — such as paying for seats under quota in private schools rather than focusing on...

Gurgaon, with 20.9% household internet penetration, scored better than IT hubs like Bangalore and Hyderabad in Census 2011. But high internet use is leading to increase in the number of internet addicts in the city. Addictions have always been associated with substance abuse that alters the chemical balance of the brain. Recent research shows that one can even experience a high, from excessive use of the internet. Internet addicts experience a...

-The Times of India Marks obtained by a student in the Class X CBSE exams cannot be revealed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act as it would defeat the very purpose of the new grading system, the Delhi high court has ruled. Setting aside a ruling by the Central information Commission asking the Central Board of Secondary Education to reveal marks obtained by a girl in her Class X board examination...