Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said Primary and Secondary Education Minister B.C. Nagesh is expected to submit his report on the textbook review process on June 2 and a decision on the review will be taken thereafter.
Responding to queries at a media conference in Manipal during his two-day tour of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts, Mr. Bommai said the Education Minister has been told to submit a comprehensive report on the review process. This follows objections by many writers about the textbook review carried out by a committee headed by Rohith Chakratirtha.
While people objecting to the review process, the way it was carried out and the contents therein, many others have supported the review process saying what had been done was perfectly right, Mr. Bommai said. He is also aware of reactions from many seers of various communities on the issue. The Education Minister would consider all these aspects before submitting the report.
Responding to a question on the BJP’s promise to strengthen the Lokayukta and close down the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), Mr. Bommai said the ACB was given adequate powers to deal with corruption. He claimed that the Lokayukta did not have the power to enforce the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, but the ACB does, indicating the government’s unwillingness to restore the powers of the Lokayukta.