Haryana may rope in Batra as education panel head

The Haryana government is learnt to be planning to rope in RSS-backed Shiksha Bachao Andolan convenor Dinanath Batra to suggest “necessary” changes in the school education system. Batra, a controversial educationist, is responsible for the pulping of American scholar Wendy Doniger’s book on Hinduism, alleging that it hurt religious sentiments. of the community.

State Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said the government was planning to constitute a consultative committee to improve education levels. That committee is likely to be headed by Batra, sources said.

“There is a dire need to improve the standard of education in the state. The Congress has spoilt the educational atmosphere by introducing unscientific methods. We have decided to constitute a consultative committee and will implement its suggestions,” Sharma, who himself once worked as a teacher with Batra in Kurukshetra, said in a press release Thursday. He added that eminent educationists would also be included in the panel.

Sharma also said the government would try and make education “traditional and culture based” at the school level.