Lessons on all social reformers from Telangana will be included in the textbooks of social studies from classes six to ten of Telangana syllabus from the next academic year.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao approved the change in the syllabus for social studies from classes six to ten and first language Telugu from classes one to ten a few days ago. Sources said the social studies textbooks for the five standards were being designed to reflect Telangana Statehood movement, history and culture. One or two chapters on these aspects will be added to the existing content.
An important addition will be inclusion of life sketch of reformers such as Easwari Bai (former president of Republic Party of India and mother of Congress legislator J. Geeta Reddy), former Minister N. Sadalaxmi, Bhagya Reddy Varma and Arige Ramaswami. A committee to study inclusion and exclusion of content in social studies also decided to have full-fledged chapters on Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi dynasties. They figured partly in the earlier text-books. A chapter on caves in Kurnool was replaced with similar ones in Telangana. The committee comprising Telangana joint action committee chairman and professor of history M. Kodandaram and academics Adapa Satyanarayana, C.N. Subrahmaniam and Tirumali took care to see that there was no heavy dose of historical studies, contradictions and overlapping in the syllabus. In the geography section, case studies about villages in different regions of Telangana were included. In the books of first language Telugu, sources said the focus was on Telugu classical literature from AP and Telangana. The books have undergone a complete makeover. Telugu language will also be taught in normal way. The committee on Telugu syllabus was involved in a serious exercise to overhaul the syllabus for three to four months. The recommendations of both committees were sent to the Chief Minister two months ago, but he read them thoroughly and conveyed his decision a few days ago, sources said.
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