Delhi Education Minister Ashish Sood on Thursday welcomed the inclusion of a chapter on the Emergency in the new NCERT Class IX textbook, saying students should be made aware of one of the most significant periods in India’s democratic history.
Reacting to the move, Sood said, “Better late than never. How were people taken away from their homes overnight? How were they detained in police stations for months without charges? The current generation should know about these events of the Emergency so that they can understand the importance of protecting freedom of expression in the country today and recognise its value.”
The minister said the younger generation must understand the events of the Emergency and appreciate the importance of democratic rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution.
Meanwhile, Sood also spoke about the Delhi government’s ongoing crackdown on coaching centres across the capital, stating that stricter regulations and legal provisions were being prepared based on the recommendations of the Justice Gauba Committee.
He added, “Following the unfortunate incidents that have taken place in neighbouring states, we inspected 924 coaching centres in a month.”
The minister said inspections of 923 coaching centres had been completed over the past month, with authorities examining building safety and compliance with prescribed norms. He added that the Municipal Corporation had been asked to serve as the nodal agency for investigations and that institutes found violating safety and operational standards would face notices, sealing and further action.
