Works of conservative thinkers should be included curriculum to ensure debate in a polarized nation, says V-C of Kuvempu varsity

Sharath Ananthamurthy, Vice-Chancellor of Kuvempu University, has favoured incorporating the works of blimpish thinkers successful the world texts to guarantee a statement successful a polarised country.

He spoke aft inaugurating a store connected English Curriculum: Challenges of Teaching, organised by the Kuvempu University’s Department of English and Forum of College English Teachers successful Shivamogga connected Tuesday.

Referring to the texts prescribed for the grade students, Prof. Ananthamurthy felt that texts prescribed were ‘politicised to 1 side’. “Why cannot we person a speechmaking from the V.D. Savarkar’s enactment connected First War of Independence successful 1856 successful the text? Just if you enactment definite works successful the program does not mean you are propagating an idea,” helium said.

Elaborating his thought further, Prof. Ananthamurthy said, “In fact, putting the things that travel from the blimpish thought, from the champion sources, is precise important. Otherwise, our kids volition spell and look for what Savarkar said done WhatsApp. Do you privation them to work Savarkar done WhatsApp? Or bash you privation them to work Savarkar’s effort – First War of Independence -which I consciousness is simply a bully portion of writing. It it polemical, it is wrong. I don’t hold with Savarkar’s views. But it is simply a compelling view. It should besides find spot connected the text,” helium stated.

Referring to Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s penning included successful the text, the Vice-Chancellor said that determination was a information of overdoing Ambedkar. “Not to belittle Ambedkar, helium is 1 of the top thinkers of the world. But, we person to usage him appropriately. Not conscionable Ambedkar..Ambedkar arsenic a mantra. Then it runs the hazard of becoming a cliche and wearing out. Don’t misunderstand me,” helium said.

Further, helium added that determination was a large disagreement successful the country. There is polarisation successful the nation. “For a antiauthoritarian nation, we request a debate. And the statement tin hap successful English texts. After all, our connection sources are not conscionable teaching language. They are teaching you to deliberation and to negociate done governmental territory. And, this is precise important to person works of blimpish thinkers,” helium stated.

Prof. Ananthamurthy besides took objection to prescribing abstracted connection texts for students of arts, commerce and subject streams. He stressed the request of connection substance books which would promote arts students to work an effort connected subject and subject students to work extracts from classics.

V.S. Sridhar, retired prof of English, who delivered a keynote address, opined that the advent of artificial quality was 1 of the biggest challenges that teachers had not travel to presumption with. While teaching a poem, the teacher mightiness miss highlighting the value of a dash, hyphen, question people oregon a parenthesis. There were chances of students uncovering it retired with the assistance of AI tools. “AI is simply a situation to each teachers, peculiarly the connection teachers. We person to excavation into each imaginable ways successful which a poem has been analysed, earlier teaching it successful the classroom,” helium said.

Mr. Sridhar, however, stated that nary AI instrumentality could regenerate the surviving dependable of a teacher successful the classroom.

Ramaprasad B.V., chairperson of the Department of English; T. Avinath, main of Sahyadri Commerce College; Shivalingaswamy, prof of Tumkur University; C. Channappa, chairperson of FOCET were present.