No action on disposing textbooks under scheme till June 8

Updated on: Thursday, June 02, 2011

The Tamil Nadu Government said it would not take any action on disposing printed 'Samacheer Kalvi Thittam' textbooks till June 8, the next date of hearing of petitions challenging the scheme pending before a pision Bench of Madras High Court.


When a batch of petitions came up before the Bench,comprising Justices V Ramasubramanian and G M Akbar Ali, Advocate-General A Navaneethakrishnan produced a letter from State Education Secretary conveying the decision, which was duly recorded.


The PILs were filed in Madras High Court, challenging this Government's decision not to implement Equitable Standard School Education (Samacheer Kalvi) this academic year.

 

Pursuant to the previous DMK government's June 2010 decision, the system was introduced for classes I and six and later to extend the new common syllabus for seventh to 10th standard from the academic year beginning June 2011. A total of nine crore books were printed at a cost of Rs 200 crore.

 

Petitioner K Suresh, secretary, Human Rights Protection Centre-Tamil Nadu, Chennai district, said the cabinet decision could not be termed policy decision as it was taken  without consulting experts. He prayed that the court declare the May 22 cabinet decision as null and void and unconstitutional

 

He sought an interim stay of further tender proceedings to print textbooks by Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation,dated May 21 and an interim direction to authorities to reopen schools on June 3 and to issue textbooks now available for Standards I to 10 as per syllabus under the Samacheer Kalvi Thittam.

 

P B Prince Gajendra Babu, general secretary, State Platform for Common School System, challenged the constitutional and legal validity of the government in deferring implementation of Samacheer Kalvi Thittam and prayed for an interim injunction forbearing respondents from disposing the textbooks.

The Bench posted the petitions for further hearing on June 8.

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