The Government of Gujarat is mulling to introduce a chapter on visionary industrialist son-of-the-soil Dhirubhai Ambani as part of the curriculum for higher secondary students from academic year 2016.
Apart from inspirational success story of Dhirubhai Ambani, the State Government is also planning to include chapters on noted Gujarati writer Umashankar Joshi, veteran photographer Pranlal Patel and leading industrialist of yesteryears Nanji Kalidas Mehta. Moreover it also plans to include chapters on Swachh Bharat Campaign initiated by Modi Government and other social programmes including Save the Girl Child and Educate Daughters (Beti Padhao). Dhirubhai, founder of India’s biggest private sector company — Reliance Industries limited — has his roots in Kukaswada village of Junagadh district near coastal town Chorvad. Though he lived most of his adult and professional life in Mumbai, over two-thirds of his company assets — Petrochemical plants at Hazira or world’s largest Greenfield reinfery of Jamnagar — are located in Gujarat.
Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama said that no concrete decision on this issue has been taken as yet and the Government will build a consensus on proposed changes before introduction of these new chapters.
He, however, confirmed that yoga would definitely be introduced in all Government schools from Class ninth onwards from next academic session beginning June 2016. An expert panel gets busy with finalising the curriculum for teaching yoga, he said adding that teachers in Government schools will also be imparted training in yoga and its benefit during forthcoming Diwali vacation.
The decision to make yoga compulsory for school children from Class IX from next academic year was taken by a panel led by the State Education Minister. This is also in sync with the announcement made by Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani, making yoga integral part of studies across the Central Government run schools.