The first set of wing assemblies for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk1A, produced by Larsen and Toubro, was handed over to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu on Thursday, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar attended the event virtually as General Manager (LCA Tejas Division) M Abdul Salam received the assemblies on behalf of HAL from Precision Manufacturing and Systems Complex unit of L&T.
In his address, the Secretary (Defence Production) commended the efforts of HAL and L&T towards achieving self-reliance.
He hailed HAL for spearheading collaboration with different private sector partners, nurturing them and ensuring enhanced capability.
He expressed confidence in meeting the requirement of the production target for LCA Tejas. He called for expanding horizons and focusing on reducing dependency on other countries.
CMD, HAL, DK Sunil, who was present during the handing over, termed it as a testament to years of dedicated hand-holding and a shared commitment to excellence from HAL and L&T.
“HAL is working with suppliers, both large and SMEs, as an initiative towards achieving Aatmanirbharta in the aerospace and defence sector. HAL has effectively built a parallel aircraft structural assembly line in the private sector which will help in capacity augmentation of the LCA Tejas programme,” he said.
Senior Vice President and Head, L&T Precision Engineering and Systems Arun Ramchandani said L&T is set to supply four wing sets annually, with plans to scale up production to 12 sets per annum through advanced assembly processes and automation, he added.
Till date, the LCA Tejas Division has received structural modules of Air Intake Assemblies from Lakshmi Machine Works, Rear fuselage assembly from Alpha Tocol, Loom Assemblies from Amphenol, Fin and Rudder Assemblies from Tata Advanced Systems, Centre Fuselage Assembly from VEM Technologies and Wing Assemblies from Larsen and Toubro for the LCA Mk1A.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
A troubling case of forced conversion transpired in Indore of Madhya Pradesh where Hindu transgenders charged their Muslim peers with pushing them to embrace Islam and stated that they were given injections infected with HIV after they refused to comply. As a result, 60 transgenders contracted HIV.
Hindu transgender leader Sakina Guru took the names of Seema Haji also known as Farzana and Payal alias Naeem Ansari as the prime accused. Out of fear, many Hindu transgenders have become Muslims. Those who remained steadfast in their faith and refused to submit have been subjected to HIV-infected injections. Currently, over 100 such victims are present in Indore.
A formal complaint was submitted to the Chief Justice of India, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Chief Minister’s Office, the District Magistrate and the Police Commissioner.Afterward,, a Special Investigation Team had been established to look into the matter. However, this is not the first instance as over the years, numerous cases have emerged where Muslim transgenders pressurised Hindu members of the community to convert. These instances have been reported from states such as Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh.
Threats of social exclusion
Muslim transgenders intimidated Hindu transgenders to convert to Islam in the Sakri region of Bilaspur district, Chhattisgarh. The victim, Asma disclosed that Raja exerts pressure on them to provide sandalwood and impose charges ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 19,000 for the service. She added that failure to comply results in threats of social ostracism, including physical harm perpetrated by hired thugs. On 6th May, a formal complaint was lodged with the Superintendent of Police regarding the matter.
Assault for conversion
A Muslim transgender compelled Sita, also known as Sapna, to convert to Islam in Kesorpur village of Bibinagar area of Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh. She unveiled that her ustad (leader/teacher) forcibly kept her hostage inside a room and assaulted her after she declined to embrace Islam. She managed to escape from her captor and subsequently filed a First Information Report (FIR) with the police.
Dalit Hindu transgender thrashed brutally
Dalit Hindu transgender Muskan filed a complaint with the police concerning the attempts to convert her and a violent assault. The incident occurred in the jurisdiction of the Mansurpur police station in Muzaffarnagar. She charged that Preeti, Kaushar Ali and Guddu severely thrashed her for refusing to embrace Islam. Additionally, she was obstructed from performing puja-paath. She added that Kaushar Ali introduces himself as Geeta. Preeti, although a Muslim, has a Hindu name. She informed that Preeti was a man who became a transgender following surgery.
Death threats and pressure to become Muslim
A Hindu transgender complained to the authorities that she was being pressured to convert to Islam in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore.. The majority of the transgenders reside in Nandlalpur, an area predominantly inhabited by Muslims and the victim was also forced to live there and participate in namaz. The perpetrators broke into her residence and threatened to kill her upon her refusal. She was even barred from conducting puja-paath.
Pressure on Hindu transgenders to convert, temple removed
Muslim transgenders exerted pressure on Hindu peers to embrace Islam by dismantling a temple, in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur. The latter stated that the accused were roaming in the area, trying to indoctrinate others to convert. The victims then alerted Hindu organizations regarding the matter. The police filed a case against four Muslim transgenders based on the complaint.
Hindu transgenders forced to eat meat and read namaz
Hindu transgenders in the Civil Lines police station vicinity reported that Muslim transgenders summoned thugs to assault them, in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. They pressured the victims to consume meat and perform namaz. Furthermore, they entered Hindu neighborhoods to collect funds. A violent confrontation erupted between the two sides amidst the chaos. The cops rushed to the scene and diffused the tension. An FIR was also launched by them.
Muslim cleric converted Hindu transgender
A transgender was converted by his peer with the assistance of a Maulana (Muslim cleric). The mother of the victim went to the Georgetown police station to file a complaint against the accused. She stated that her child, Pankaj was forcibly made to consume inappropriate substances and was subjected to physical abuse. She revealed that the cleric at Patthar Gali converted her to Islam at the behest of other transgenders.
Eat beef, accept Islam or leave
Hindu transgenders faced pressure to convert to Islam in the Jundla Gharaunda region of Karnal, Haryana. When they protested, they were threatened with expulsion from the houses. They were made to eat beef and other meat. Transgender Jyoti reported that the Muslim transgenders, Abdu Kar Rehman and Abdul Karim also known as Lallu, forcefully entered her residence and verbally assaulted her and her teacher.
Pressure on Hindu transgenders to change religion
Hindu transgenders in the Sector-16 area of Haryana’s Faridabad endured pressure to convert. The victims, Kumkum, Sapna, Radhika, Somya, Saloni and Lovely reported that Guddu, another transgender embraced Islam after which she had been exerting pressure on other Hindu transgenders to follow suit. The Hindus requested protection from the police authorities.
In Kerala, the state government has allowed local bodies to conduct euthanasia of diseased stray dogs in accordance with the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Animal Husbandry Practices and Procedures) Rules 2023.
On 16th July, Minister for Local Self Governments M.B. Rajesh and Minister for Animal Husbandry J. Chinchurani announced this decision after holding a high-level cabinet meeting in view of the surge in cases of stray dog bites and deaths due to rabies.
According to the Section 8 of Animal Husbandry Rules, the euthanasia of an animal can be carried out when the Union government or the State government finds any animal which is so diseased that it can spread the disease, in order to control such diseases.
Minister Rajesh said that since the Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules do not allow euthanasia, the government relied on the Animal Husbandry Rules for allowing euthanasia of diseased stray dogs.
“The State government will again request the Union government to amend the ABC rules as it slows down the progress of ABC activities. Another challenge is the opposition from the local population against opening ABC centres. The government will take action related to obstructing public servants in discharge of public functions against those who try to impede the functioning of ABC units,” the minister said.
The Animal Husbandry Department will deploy eight ABC machines. In the next two months, the Local Self Government Department will deploy ABC machines in 152 block panchayats in Kerala.
In recent times, there has been a significant rise in the cases of rabies-caused deaths across the country. Notably, Rabies is a viral zoonosis spread most often by dogs. It is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, typically via a bite or a scratch. There is no cure for rabies once the patient starts exhibiting clinical symptoms, and death is 100% certain within a few days. Even minor exposure can be deadly.
While the government data show only dozens of confirmed deaths each year, for example, 21 deaths in 2022 and 54 in 2024, WHO and independent studies estimate roughly 18,000 to 20,000 deaths in India by rabies. Notably, WHO’s numbers match a 2006 press release of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Opindia is doing a series (link) on stray dog menace, existing laws, their implications and how India can tackle this issue.
The moustache was sacred, a symbol of faith and identity for generations of Druze men. So when the masked fighters pinned down Sheikh Kamal in Suwayda, Syria, and shaved his face raw with a rusty blade last week, they weren’t just humiliating an 80-year-old cleric, they were erasing a people. His whimpers, captured on a terrorist’s phone and gleefully shared online, echoed a horror Yazidi survivors know too well—a horror the world vowed “Never Again” to ignore. Yet here we are, again!
The Ghosts of sinjar: A prologue to suffering
Eleven years ago this August, Islamic State terrorists descended on Sinjar, northern Iraq. Their mission: Exterminate the Yazidis, an ancient ethno-religious community they deemed “infidels.” Men were executed en masse, dumped in over 80 unmarked graves. Women and girls, some as young as nine, were sold in slave markets.
“ISIS captured us when we were trying to reach Sinjar Mountain. At the beginning, they only separated my father from us in Sinjar. They did not take me from my mother because I was only 14 at that time. Then, they took us from Sinjar to Til-Afar. Life was so bad there. We did not have enough food or good shelter. After 8 months, they separated us from each other. They sold me more than 10 times to different people,” Badyra, 24, narrated.
The numbers still steal breathing as 5000+ Yazidi men and older women were slaughtered, 6,000+ women and children were enslaved, 2,800+ are still missing, likely in graves or bondage, 400,000+ displaced in squalid camps, forgotten. Today, mass graves pepper Sinjar like open wounds. Reconstruction is paralysed by political feuds. Survivors battle trauma without therapy, justice without courts. “We have been forgotten,” whispers Bahar, 32, in a Duhok displacement camp. The world moved on. ISIS didn’t.
11 years ago, on Aug 3, 2014, ISIS began the Yezidi Genocide. Thousands were killed. 6,400+ women & children enslaved. Pregnant women died fleeing. 2,700+ still missing. A genocide in the 21st century—and the world did not stop it.#YazidiGenocide#NeverForgetpic.twitter.com/y9vqWVqBvS
Now, history convulses in Syria’s south. Since Sunday, Suwayda, a Druze heartland, has been drowned in blood. Bedouin tribes, backed by Syria’s new regime, clash with Druze militias. The spark? A robbery. The Tinder? Sectarian hate was stoked by President Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, an Al-Qaeda warlord who rebranded himself in a suit.
In an exhibition of atrocity, Government-aligned forces stormed a Radwan family wedding hall on Tuesday (15th July), murdering 15 unarmed guests. “I lost nine close friends… They shot them like dogs,” Maan Radwan told the Guardian from London. Videos show bodies splayed in blood-pooled rooms. Snipers now pick off civilians daring to retrieve corpses.
To eradicate their culture, Druze moustaches, religious symbols are forcibly shaved. Clerics are tortured. Homes are torched to chants of “Swine!” As of Wednesday, 250+ lie dead, including 21 executed “field-style”. “No electricity, water, or internet. Landlines dead. We’re caged with killers,” Fadi Hamdan, a Suwayda carpenter, told CNN. Hospitals overflow; surgeons operate by phone-light on neighbours they recognise.
To President Ahmed al-Sharra, Interior Minister Anas Khattab, and Defense Minister Marhaf Abu Ghasra:
If you want the world to see Syria as a serious, sovereign nation-state, then teach your army to act like one. Shaving the beard and mustache of an elderly Druze man of faith -… pic.twitter.com/R21kLJVFAP
As tanks rolled into Suwayda, global reactions ranged from muted to morally bankrupt. Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres issued a statement “condemning violence”, a hollow echo as social media filled with videos of Druze elders begging for rescue. While the European Union offered “concern” while accepting Jolani’s “moderate” rebrand. The EU gifted his regime $235 million in February blood money for suits, not salvation.
Apart from that, during the Biden administration, US has already sent $1.2 billion to Syria after Jolani took power. In March, Jolani’s forces slaughtered minorities with ISIS-level brutality. A commander ordered troops: “Do not leave alive any Alawite… Slaughter them all, including children in bed.” Yet headlines yawned. Again.
Why Israel strikes: The unspoken fear
Wednesday (16th July), Israeli air raids on Damascus, collapsing the Defence Ministry, shaking the presidential palace—weren’t mere geopolitics. They were a scream into the void that “We see you. We remember.”
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed “painful blows” until Syria withdraws from Druze areas.
“The Jews know they’re next,” says Moshe Levi, a Golan Heights Druze teacher. “Who wiped out Yazidis? Islamists. Who slaughters Druze? An ex-Al-Qaeda regime. Who’s left? Us.” When Netanyahu pleaded with Israeli Druze not to cross into Syria (“You’ll be murdered or taken hostage!”), It wasn’t just strategy, it was recognition of shared peril.
Israel’s critics decry “violations of sovereignty.” But what sovereignty exists in a nation led by a terrorist who films himself burning Druze holy images? “Europeans flocked to shake Jolani’s hand,” scoffed Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. “But jihadists remain jihadists—even in suits”.
Israel–Syria Strike Highlights • Strike: Israeli air attack on Syria ??? • Target: Military sites near Damascus • Hit: Iran-backed groups ? • Damage: Heavy destruction, casualties reported • Goal: Stop threats from Syrian soil • Tension: Rising in the region ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/98FQtSGRzR
During the years between 2014-2019, ISIS killed 5000+, displacing and enslaving 400,000+, with 2800 still missing, their fates buried in mass graves or hidden in bondage, met with global indifference. Then, this March, Alawites and Christians fell to the knives of Jolani’s rebranded terror regime: 7,000 butchered in Latakia, tens of thousands purged from their homes—a massacre answered only by empty condemnations.
Now, as you read this, the Druze bleed in Suwayda. Since Sunday, 250 souls and counting have been executed, mutilated, or burned alive by Jolani’s forces. Their ancient heartland is besieged, their holy symbols desecrated, while the world offers silence. Only Israel dares act—launching solitary airstrikes on Damascus—as the pattern screams truth: Minorities are exterminated one by one, while “Never Again” becomes “Not Our Problem”.
One of Julani’s fighters asked a Druze man, “What are you?” The man replied, “I’m Druze.” The fighter ripped out his mustache, slapped him across the face, and said, “You are a pig.”
— Brother Rachid الأخ رشيد (@BrotherRasheed) July 16, 2025
Epilogue: The clock ticks for us all
As Syria “withdraws” troops under Israeli fire a temporary ceasefire brokered by U.S. pressure—the pattern chills: Genocide thrives where empathy dies. First Yazidis. Now Druze. Alawites. Christians. When minorities fall like dominoes while the world drafts “concerned” statements, the only question left is “Who’s next?”
New cases are coming to light every day related to the Balrampur Islamic conversion racket run by Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba in Uttar Pradesh. In a disturbing case that reveals a spreading trend of forced conversion, a Karnataka woman has exposed gruesome details of how she was lured, entrapped, and exploited in an intensely sinister religious conversion racket running from India to Saudi Arabia. The woman, Rashmi (changed name), recalled her horrible experience on a phone call with Aaj Tak, narrating the trauma, falsehood, and abuse she suffered for years.
Her journey starts in late 2019, just after the passing away of her only family, her older brother. Vulnerable and alone, she was contacted on Instagram by a person named “Raju Rathore.” At first, she did not give him any attention. But soon, a lady presenting herself as Raju’s sister-in-law began chatting with her, assuring her that Raju was reliable and seriously interested in her.
He introduced himself as a Rajput Hindu and posed with images of Hindu deities as his profile pictures. Gradually, a friendship developed, and ultimately, Raju offered her his hand in marriage. His so-called sister-in-law told her that they would be Rashmi’s new family because she no longer had anyone.
Raju, who was allegedly employed in Saudi Arabia, invited Rashmi to go there, stating that she could try her luck there for a job. A forged Aadhaar card and passport under a different identity were procured for her, although the photograph used for the documents was hers. Since she had never been abroad before and had no one to show her the way, Rashmi relied on the process. She even sold the house and beauty parlour in Karnataka to finance her new life.
When she reached Delhi, she saw Raju’s so-called sister-in-law and father, who took her to the airport. A man who took her along to Saudi Arabia told her about flight protocols and remained with her on the flight. She felt accepted, even loved. Within a matter of hours, she had begun to construct a new life.
Rashmi first met Raju at the Saudi airport. Everything appeared normal. He appeared Hindu, spoke in a familiar tone, and tended to refer to Hindu gods. Yet, just after entering the car, he made an odd telephone call, uttering, “The package has arrived.” Later on, she found out that “package” meant Indian girls being trafficked.
Rashmi was brought to a hired two-room residence in an area she remembers being referred to as something like “Al-Badiha.” There, before strangers, Raju fastened a mangalsutra around her neck and put sindoor in her hair, mimicking her marriage. Several hours later, he called someone saying, “Rashmi is ready to convert.”
She was shocked, and she asked him what he meant. He then told her that his real name was Wasim, and he wished she should convert to Islam and rename herself Ayesha. When she refused, abuse started. She was beaten and raped for three days. He locked her up in the room when he left home, and even confiscated her telephone.
Three days passed, and a man named Badr Akhtar Siddiqui visited the house. He greeted her warmly and talked about the ‘truth’ of their religion. However, when Rashmi asked him a few questions, he got angry and talked to Wasim. She heard them saying that Wasim had been paid Rs 15 lakh by the operator of the Balrampur Islamic conversion racket, Jalaluddin alias Chhangur Baba, for bringing her to Saudi Arabia.
Persuasion failed, so Wasim went darker. Wasim took a video of himself raping Rashmi and blackmailed her with it. She remained terrorised for three months, living in this hell. After her tourist visa’s term ran out, Wasim sent her back to India but held the video hostage.
In Karnataka, Rashmi attempted to restart her life, taking a small accommodation on rent and working at beauty parlours. But Wasim and his family kept their eyes on her, calling her over and over and threatening her. She switched jobs several times. From Saharanpur, individuals started calling, asking for money for all sorts of false reasons.
More than two and a half years went by in this manner, with Rashmi being trapped. Fear of her explicit video going viral stopped her from taking her life, even when life became too tough. She finally approached the police with a complaint in Karnataka. But soon she received threats, asking her to reach Saharanpur.
In May 2024, she went to Saharanpur, where the woman whom she had referred to as ‘bhabhi’ was Wasim’s actual wife. She was kidnapped a second time by an entire family. She was threatened and beaten, attempting to convert her. She begged, telling them she was a Hindu and even promised to teach them Hanuman Chalisa. They were furious at this and increased the beatings.
She attempted to get assistance from local police, but everybody was on the same page. She was invariably brought back to Wasim’s residence whenever she tried running away, quite frequently by the police themselves. They had received money from Chhangur Baba, the mastermind behind the Balarampur Islamic conversion racket, to make sure that she got converted.
In December 2024, it reached a new low. After endless threats and manipulations, she was forced to eat beef and beaten when she wouldn’t touch it. The following day, while shopping in town, she was kidnapped by 12-14 men, gagged, tied, and gang-raped.
One of Wasim’s so-called uncles also made videos of the assault. She was tortured using cigarette burns, belts, knives, bricks, and the like. Throughout, they abused her religion. That is where she was led to Chhangur Baba’s den.
Rather than assisting her, Chhangur was enraged that her face had been hit. “Who will purchase her now?” he supposedly remarked. He ordered that her wounds be treated and spiritual healing done. He placed a taweez around her neck.
She was then hospitalised with a different identity. After discharge, she was again imprisoned. With fractured bones and innumerable injuries, she managed to escape and arrived at a court nearby, where she met the members of an organisation. They introduced her to Gopal Rai, who is the President of the Vishwa Hindu Raksha Parishad.
On June 3, a ‘shuddhikaran’ was conducted for her in Lucknow, along with 15 other victims of Jalaluddin’s racket. Last week, Jalaluddin was arrested. But Rashmi asserts that his people are still around and following her.
She has been allotted a single room in the Saharanpur house where she was once imprisoned. The room has no kitchen, no toilet. The rest of the house is locked and empty. No electricity supply reaches her room after Jalaluddin’s arrest.
To survive, Rashmi goes door-to-door offering beauty services. But she is still harassed. The rapists loiter around her. Some blow cigarette smoke at her; others make obscene gestures. She keeps receiving threats from different phone numbers.
“I was an orphan. The dream of a family is what made me lose everything,” Rashmi says.
Now, she fears every day. Not only to be assaulted once more, but also of things from her past coming back to ruin whatever little harmony she was able to reconstruct.
On Thursday morning, 17th July, in Paikan Reserve Forest under Krishnai Range of Goalpara district, an eviction drive led by the Assam Police and the forest department came under attack for clearing encroachments. Police opened fire, resulting in one person dying and the other getting seriously injured.
According to the sources, the clash eruptedwhen a large group of Muslims who illegally occupied the government land attacked the eviction team. Eyewitness accounts and video footage from the scene show Muslim residents pelting stones at the eviction team and attacking an excavator used in the operation. In an act of self-defence, police opened fire upon the mob. One person died and the other sustained injuries. At least 10 from the team of forest and police personnel have also been injured, officials said.
Goalpara, Assam: Violence erupted during an eviction drive in Paikan as locals clashed with police, pelting stones and attacking an excavator. Police opened fire to disperse the mob, resulting in one death and one injury pic.twitter.com/82oswCz24n
The eviction was part of the state government’s initiative to reclaim over 140 hectares of encroached land within the Paikan Reserve Forest. The encroached areas include the densely populated areas of Bidyapara and Betbari, where 1,080 families of East Pakistan/Bangladesh-origin Muslim immigrants have reportedly been living for years without valid land documents.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has issued a stern warning, saying, “Once the eviction is completed, we plan to undertake afforestation in the cleared areas. Anyone attacking police personnel will face legal consequences. Our aim in Paikan is to reclaim forest land and restore it to its natural state”.
On October 12, 2022, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and then CM Shivraj Chouhan introduced the Hindi medium MBBS course in Madhya Pradesh, marking it as a major step towards making medical education more inclusive for Hindi-speaking students. However, nearly three years later, the ambitious project seems to have failed to find any acceptance among the students.
Not a single MBBS student from the Hindi-medium MBBS course in the state has appeared for the exam in Hindi, according to a Dainik Bhaskar report. The government have spent Rs 10 crore on printing medical textbooks in Hindi. The initiative that was intended to benefit students from Hindi medium backgrounds has failed to make any significant impact.
Students from various medical colleges told Dainik Bhaskar that they prefer studying and writing exams in English. The reasons are largely tied to better career prospects and the standard practices within the medical profession.
A social media user asked whether the 10 crores would have been better utilised in improving college and hostel infrastructure.
The project to teach MBBS in Hindi in Madhya Pradesh has failed miserably. The government spent ₹10 crore of taxpayers’ money on printing medical textbooks in Hindi, yet not a single student attempted their exams in the language.
Dr. Aruna Kumar, Dean of Gandhi Medical College, Bhopal, stated that teaching methods have not significantly changed since the introduction of the Hindi curriculum. Although teachers are encouraged to use Hindi language to communicate during lectures, English remains the dominant language for reading and writing for medicos. From July 12, medical college admissions for the new academic year will begin.
What students faced?
The Bhaskar report quoted Ankit Pandey, from Sidhi district, who joined a government medical college in 2022 after completing Class 12 and NEET in Hindi. Initially apprehensive about studying in English, Ankit was relieved to find Hindi textbooks and teachers communicating in Hindi during lectures. However, he soon discovered that lecture slides and reference material were in English.
“When I started reading, I realised the Hindi textbooks were just transliteration, all the medical terms were still in English, simply written in Hindi script,” he says. Eventually, he shifted to English textbooks entirely and has written all his exams in English over the past three years.
In another case, Muskan Prajapati, a third-year student at Gandhi Medical College, explains that the Hindi and English textbooks are nearly similar. “They haven’t translated the medical terms. ‘Liver’ is still written as ‘liver,’ not ‘yakrit’; ‘limb’ is still ‘limb,’” she says. She adds that medical terminology is so embedded in English that they refer to Hindi books only when something in the English version isn’t clear. All notes and exams are in English, which they find more convenient.
The registrar of Madhya Pradesh Medical Science University confirmed that all government medical colleges in the state now offer MBBS in Hindi. When asked how many students had written their exams in Hindi over the last three years, he said, “Not a single one.” Despite the availability of Hindi textbooks and bilingual question papers, students prefer English.
He also noted that, until now, students weren’t even given an option to choose the exam language in application forms. English was the default language. Even when the Hindi curriculum was launched, there was no formal provision for language choice. While students were allowed to write in either Hindi or English, they consistently chose English.
Government incentive plan for choosing Hindi
To promote the use of Hindi, the Madhya Pradesh government has announced a 50% discount on examination fees for students opting to write exams in Hindi. The average MBBS exam fee in government colleges is ₹6,000. Additionally, those who rank high in graduation or post-graduation will receive cash rewards. Madhya Pradesh is the first state in India to offer such incentives to promote Hindi in medical education.
Challenges on Hindi language implication
On July 2, members of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language visited Gandhi Medical College to assess the challenges of implementing the Hindi MBBS curriculum. Committee convener and MP Ujjwal Singh Raman told Dainik Bhaskar that they were evaluating whether this model could be replicated in other states. “We found that students from Hindi medium backgrounds do use these books, but English-medium students show little interest. Only 10–15% of MBBS seats are filled by Hindi medium students,” he said.
When asked whether Hindi could be introduced at the postgraduate and research levels, he replied that the current focus is solely on the MBBS program. Introducing Hindi in PG and research will be a gradual process.
Despite the government’s push for Hindi in medical education, students continue to rely heavily on English for study and exams. The gap between the intent of inclusivity and the practical demands of the medical profession suggests that language reform in technical education requires more than just transliterated textbooks. More importantly, the intent behind such experiments with taxpayer money has to be based on actual demand and necessity of students, not mere righteous opinions of individuals or headline chasing.
Previous experiment to offer Engineering courses in Hindi has also failed
This isn’t an isolated case of the government attempting to push Hindi in professional education as a student friendly policy, and students rejecting it. Madhya Pradesh first introduced Hindi in engineering education. However, similar feedback has emerged, students showed little interest in pursuing engineering courses in Hindi.
At Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology (MANIT), Bhopal, only a handful of students opted to study engineering in Hindi. MANIT Director Professor K.K. Shukla stated that students are generally not inclined toward engineering in Hindi.
In the 2022-23 academic session, 1,200 students were admitted to engineering courses at MANIT, of which just 150 chose the Hindi medium. However, many of them either dropped out or left the institute. After a year into the 4-year course, just 27 students were left in Hindi medium, a report by NavBharat Times found.
In the next session, only 89 students enrolled for the Hindi-medium courses in BTech Engineering and Diploma.
Are these policies rooted in practicality?
Even though political leaders claim that offering professional courses in Hindi will “help” students, the reality tells a different story. These appear more like appeasement experiments rather than initiatives aligned with the actual academic and career needs of students.
The core issue lies in the mismatch between policy and practicality. In fields like medicine and engineering, where global standards, research papers, terminologies, and career opportunities are overwhelmingly rooted in English, students naturally gravitate towards English-medium education, regardless of their background. As a result, these Hindi-medium initiatives tend to fall short of their goals, with students ultimately reverting to English for better understanding, competitiveness, and future prospects.
In a major electoral change, the UK government is set to reduce the voting age from 18 to 16 by the next general election. The Labour government announced the decision to alter the voting age on Thursday (17th July).
Justifying his government’s decision, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that many 16 and 17-year-olds work and pay taxes, and therefore, they should have a say in how their tax money is spent.
“Today, we’re delivering on our promise to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote. Young people already contribute to society by working, paying taxes and serving in the military. It’s only right that they can have a say on the issues that affect them,” UK’s Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner wrote on X.
Today we’re delivering on our promise to give 16 and 17 year olds the right to vote.
Young people already contribute to society by working, paying taxes and serving in the military. It's only right they can have a say on the issues that affect them. #VotesAt16
The decision will lower the voting age across the UK to 16. Scotland and Wales have already lowered the voting age for local-level elections. With the decision, the Labour Party government will be fulfilling a promise in the Labour Manifesto. Once the voting age is lowered to 16, the UK will join the league of countries like Austria, Brazil, and Scotland, which allow their respective citizens aged 16 and above to vote in the national and local elections.The UK government is also reportedly taking steps towards automatic voter registration to reduce the need to repeatedly fill out voter details across different government services.
“For too long, public trust in our democracy has been damaged and faith in our institutions has been allowed to decline. We are taking action to break down barriers to participation that will ensure more people have the opportunity to engage in UK democracy, supporting our plan for change, and delivering on our manifesto commitment to give 16-year-olds the right to vote,” Rayner said. “We cannot take our democracy for granted, and by protecting our elections from abuse and boosting participation, we will strengthen the foundations of our society for the future,” she added.
The government will also tighten its noose around foreign money being used to influence elections in the UK. It aims to crack down on shell companies and illegitimate political donations. Before receiving donations from companies, Political parties will have to assess them against a series of tests to prove their connection to the UK or Ireland. The companies will be required to prove that they are generating income in these countries. In case of any violation of rules, including false or misleading declarations, hefty fines up to £500,000 will be imposed.
As per the existing rules, any UK company can make political donations regardless of when it was established, where it earns money, or who its owners are. This will no longer be the case. The Election Commission will guide on how the assessment of these companies will be done. The government is also planning to protect election candidates against intimidation, harassment and abuse by eliminating the requirement to publish their home addresses on their election material. Those found intimidating or abusing a candidate will be barred from contesting elections in future.
Many other countries, including Nicaragua, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Ethiopia, Ecuador, and Cuba allow their citizens aged 16 and above to vote in elections. Similarly, in Sudan, South Sudan, North Korea, Indonesia, Greece, and East Timor, the voting age is 17 and above. In Indonesia, a citizen is allowed to vote at 17 but a married individual is allowed to vote regardless of age.
It has been 11 months since the Awami League government in Bangladesh was toppled through a well-coordinated regime change operation. The undemocratic ouster of Sheikh Hasina and her eventual escape to India meant that party leaders were left to fend for themselves against the systematic persecution by Islamists under the watch of ‘chief advisor’ Muhammad Yunus.
Numerous Awami League politicians and supporters alike were killed and tortured by violent mobs. The party was disenfranchised while its associate student and youth wings were disbanded. The Yunus regime curbed the political activities of the Awami League in the garb of ‘fighting fascism.’
Attempts were made to erase the existence of the political party and its contribution to the freedom movement of Bangladesh. As such, the future of the Awami League appeared dark and bleak. With no strong leader in its midst, worsened by popular discontentment, the story of the Sheikh Hasina-led party was written off completely.
Despite all the pessimism, the Awami League supporters are gradually rebuilding the party in the absence of Sheikh Hasina. They are taking to the streets, without fear for their safety and security, to challenge the Yunus regime and its puppets in the political arena.
Awami League supporters take NCP Islamists head-on
Such an act of resistance was on display when Awami League supporters challenged Islamists belonging to the National Citizen Party (NCP) – a political outfit comprising radicals who orchestrated the fall of Sheikh Hasina.
The incident occurred on Wednesday (16th July) in Gopalganj in the Dhaka Division of Bangladesh. Awami League supporters protested against the NCP during their ‘March to Rebuild the Nation’ programme.
Armed with sticks, they chased the Islamists who toppled the democratic Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024. The Awami League supporters chanted the slogan of ‘Joy Bangla’ and stormed the site of NCP rally.
Given that many members of the NCP served as ex-advisors to the interim government, Yunus quickly directed its security officials to curb the protests with an iron hand.
The police forces and Army officials initially fired tear gas shells and sound grenades, but later unleashed brutalities on Awami League supporters. According to media reports, Yunus’ security forces killed at least 4 protesters. A curfew was also imposed in the area.
Police and security personnel inflict brutalities on Awami League supporters, image via Reuters
Gopalganj is home to the mausoleum of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Founding Father of Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina had contested several elections in the past from this constituency.
Rattled by the protests of the Awami League supporters, the office of Muhammad Yunus stated, “This heinous act…will not go unpunished.”
Awami League rebuilding itself, with one protest at a time
In January 2025, supporters of the Awami League announced a 9-day roster of protests to bring an end to the undemocratic rule of Muhammad Yunus.
“People of Bangladesh do not want this interim government, which doesn’t have any constitutional validity, to be in power for even another day…. AL being a party of ordinary people of Bangladesh is organising the programmes to give voice to people’s concerns,” absconding Awami League leader A.F.M Bahauddin Nasim told The Telegraph
In February this year, Islamists masquerading as ‘student protestors’ launched attacks at the residence of Awami League leader Mozammel Haque in Bangladesh’s Gazipur. This prompted Awami League supporters to resist the attackers.
The Home Ministry of Bangladesh issued a statement, shrewdly labelling the clashes between the ‘student protestors’ and Awami League supporters as ‘terrorist attacks.’
Home Affairs Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury declared, “Those who attempt to destabilise the country will be arrested.” The repeated dehumanisation and attempts to portray the Awami League as an ‘enemy of Bangladesh’ were soon followed by mass arrests.
? BREAKING: Early this morning, one of the coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement(SAD), Hasnat Abdullah, and Sarjis Alam, openly ordered the MURDER of former Gazipur Mayor Jahangir Alam, Minister for Liberation War Affairs Mozammel Haque, and Gazipur District… pic.twitter.com/8sV7RQZaMj
In May this year, the Awami League protested against the decision of the Yunus regime to ban the political activities of the party.
Statement of Bangladesh Awami League in Protest of the Decision to Ban Its Activities — Today, the illegal and unconstitutional occupying fascist regime of Yunus has declared the banning of Awami League’s activities, leaving the people of Bengal stunned and outraged. This day… pic.twitter.com/i8eFY2R3Z2
— Bangladesh Awami League (@albd1971) May 10, 2025
How Muhammad Yunus oversaw persecution of the Awami League
Soon after coming to power on 8th August 2024, Muhammad Yunus chalked out plans to ban the Awami League. The plan did not go through due to fierce opposition from rival political parties.
In October 2024, the interim government banned the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League, over supposed violence committed by its members since 2008.
In January this year, Yunus regime introduced new textbooks for primary and secondary students which falsely claim that the first declaration of independence of Bangladesh was made by Ziaur Rehman, the founder of BNP, and not Mujibur Rehman.
The ‘Nobel laureate’ has made it clear that he is willing to go to any length to distort the country’s history and erase the contribution of the Awami League in the Independence Movement.
The ‘student protestors’, who oversaw the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, had launched ‘Bulldozer procession’ outside the residence of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rehman in February this year. They carried out vandalism and set the building on fire.
The radical elements, who enjoy the backing of the Yunus regime, also damaged murals of the founding Father of the Nation. They also carried out destruction and arson attacks on the residences of Sheikh Hasina’s late husband and cousins.
A demolished structure in front of residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, image via Reuters
The ‘student protestors’ also attacked the homes of ex-President Abdul Hamid and former Bangladeshi army chief Moeen U. Ahmed. Far from condemning the vandalism, Yunus appeared to justify the actions. This explains why no ‘student protestor’ has been arrested.
He has also remained tight-lipped on attacks on Awami League leaders and the destruction of the party office.
The advisors to Muhammad Yunus such as Mahfuz Alam and Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain had called for the disbanding of Awami League earlier this year.
Mahfuz Alam had announced, “The elections will be contested among pro-Bangladesh groups only.” He defined pro-Bangladesh groups as BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami etc and said that these parties would form a government through ‘fair electoral process’
“But Awami League’s rehabilitation will not be allowed in this country,” he emphasised, indicating that there are no plans to let Awami League contest elections in a ‘democratic’ Bangladesh.
Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain had also declared that Awami League should be ‘eradicated politically and ideologically’ from the Islamic Republic.
He claimed, “The Awami League should not only be banned but also politically eradicated from Bangladesh. This is my personal stance. Now, discussion may take place on how it will be implemented. There are precedents of this in various countries”
“I have seen my brothers martyred by their [AL men] firing before my eyes. I have been a victim of disappearance; I have seen death up close. It is impossible to even think of the political rehabilitation of Awami League,” Bhuyain brazened out.
Islamist Sarjis Alam, who is close to the Yunus regime and now part of the NCP, had also demanded a blanket ban on the Awami League.
“We cannot hold voters accountable for the crimes of the party. However, the registration of the Awami League as a political party must be completely revoked,” Alam had declared.
Around the same time, Muhammad Yunus launched a campaign to hunt down Awami League (AL) leaders from across the country. The nefarious mission has been dubbed ‘Operation Devil Hunt.’
As part of the political witch-hunt, as many as 12,000 Awami League supporters and activists were put behind bars. The centrally supervised campaign was executed by the police, Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Ansar and the Coast Guard.
In May this year, the Yunus regime finally banned the Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism Act, days after the NCP launched a march to ensure the disbanding of the political party.
In July 2025, Awami League leader Sheikh Hasina was sentenced in absentia to 6 months in prison for ‘contempt of court’ by the Yunus-controlled Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).
Conclusion
Muhammad Yunus was tasked to lead Bangladesh following the undemocratic ouster of former Prime Minister and Awami League supremo, Sheikh Hasina.
He was expected to take the Islamic Republic on the path of ‘democracy’ in the politically turbulent time.
However, the regime of the Nobel laureate is busy pandering to Islamists, ensuring the revival of the opposition BNP and crushing the Awami League with an iron fist as part of a well-thought-out political strategy.
Despite his all-out efforts aimed at gutting Bangladesh’s premier political party, the Awami League is rebuilding itself slowly and steadily in the absence of Sheikh Hasina.
“Khabardaar! Baap hain hamare!”. This dialogue from a hit Bollywood movie sums up the outrage by the Islamo-leftist coterie over the revised NCERT books that reflect on the atrocities of Mughals. This discontinuation of the sanitisation, humanisation and glorification of Islamic invaders has triggered the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), leftist ‘historians’ and the usual Mughal cheerleaders.
Before delving into the left-liberal meltdown over the much-needed pedagogical shift in the school textbooks published by the National Council for Research and Training, it is important to understand what revisions have been made in the syllabus.
From whitewashed ‘secular’ history to a factual ‘jihadist’ truth of Mughals: NCERT revamps syllabus
Akbar’s reign was a “blend of brutality and tolerance”, while Aurangzeb was a military ruler who banned “un-Islamic” practices and reimposed taxes on non-Muslims. This is how the new NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook describes Mughal tyrants.
The book, to be introduced in schools from the 2025-26 academic year, marks a shift in tone in its portrayal of the Mughal emperors. It offers detailed accounts of bloodied conquest, religious decisions driven by Islamic fundamentalism, cultural contributions, and Jihadist brutality.
Source: NCERT
The NCERT has defended the inclusion of such details, saying: “While those happenings cannot be erased or denied, it would be wrong to hold anyone today responsible for them… Understanding the historical origin of cruel violence, abusive misrule, or misplaced ambitions of power is the best way to heal the past and build a future where, hopefully, they will have no place.”
The chapter, ‘Reshaping India’s Political Map,’ which discusses Indian history from the 13th to the 17th century, spans the rise and fall of the Delhi Sultanate and the resistance to it, the Vijayanagara Empire, the Mughals and the resistance to them, and the rise of the Sikhs.
The book traces the Mughal rise, beginning with Babur, described as “a Turkic Mongol ruler and military strategist,” who defeated Ibrahim Lodi at Panipat in 1526, using gunpowder and field artillery, effectively ending the Delhi Sultanate. Babur’s son, Humayun, struggled to hold the empire, briefly losing it to Sher Shah Suri.
The book recounts how Hemu, a Hindu general under the Suri regime, briefly ruled Delhi under the title Hemchandra Vikramaditya, before being captured and beheaded by Akbar’s forces after the Second Battle of Panipat. Akbar was declared emperor at 13 after Humayun’s accidental death, set out to consolidate the subcontinent.
The book describes his rule as a “blend of brutality and tolerance, shaped by ambition and strategy”. During the siege of Chittorgarh in 1568, Akbar ordered the massacre of some 30,000 civilians and the enslavement of surviving women and children.
It quotes from his own victory dispatch: “We have succeeded in occupying a number of forts and towns belonging to the infidels and have established Islam there… With the help of our bloodthirsty sword, we have erased the signs of infidelity from their minds and have destroyed temples in those places and also all over Hindustan.”
The book also talks about the ‘Jaziya’ tax. It is said that it was imposed on non-Muslims (Hindus) by some Muslim rulers. According to the book, this tax also became a cause of public humiliation for them.
According to the new book, this tax served not only the purpose of asserting dominance over non-Muslims, humiliating them, but also creating a financial and social pressure to convert to Islam. In the old book of class 7, Jaziya was described as a tax collected along with land tax, while the new book presents it as an independent and separate tax on the basis of religion.
Alongside military campaigns, Akbar abolished the jizya, welcomed Rajput nobles to his court, and promoted sulh-i-kul – or “peace with all”. He established a translation bureau at Fatehpur Sikri and commissioned the Persian translations of the Mahabharata (Razmnama), Ramayana, Bhagavad Gita, and Panchatantra.
His spiritual and political evolution is captured in a quote recorded by his biographer Abul Fazl: “Formerly I persecuted men into conformity with my faith and deemed it Islam. As I grew in knowledge, I was overwhelmed with shame. Not being a Muslim myself, it was unmeet to force others to become such.”
His successors, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, are noted for their patronage of art and architecture, with Shah Jahan remembered for building the Taj Mahal. But the book does not skip over political violence: it details the succession battles following Shah Jahan’s illness, in which Aurangzeb defeated his brother Dara Shikoh, executed rivals, and imprisoned his father.
Aurangzeb’s reign is described as the Mughal Empire’s period of greatest territorial expansion, though marred by constant warfare. His religious orthodoxy and policies, the book states, shaped the tone of his rule: “He gradually banned practices he regarded as un-Islamic, such as music and dance in his court, and reimposed the jizya tax on non-Muslims as well as a pilgrimage tax on Hindus travelling to their sacred places (both of which had been abolished by Akbar).”
It details the destruction of Hindu temples by Islamic jihadist invaders in Banaras, Mathura, and Somnath, and the persecution of Jain, Sikh, Sufi, and Parsi communities.
The revised textbook includes a preface directly addressing why such dark episodes of Islamic jihadist fanaticism have been retained: “History sometimes seems to be full of wars and destruction… Should we omit them entirely? … The best approach is to face them and analyse them so as to understand what made such developments possible and, hopefully, help avoid their recurrence in future.”
“It is important to study those darker developments dispassionately, without blaming anyone living today for them… The past continues to live with us and shapes the present.”
In addition to inculcating a more factual than whitewashed version of the Mughal dynasty, the revised NCERT syllabus also highlights the anti-Hindu actions and policies of the pre-Mughal Islamic invader-turned-rulers. Notably, the NCERT has added a “No one should be held responsible today for events of the past” disclaimer in the book.
The new book mentions that Malik Kafur, the Military General of Alauddin Khilji (Khalji dynasty), who reigned between 1296-1316, “attacked a number of Hindu centres such as Srirangam, Madurai, Chidambaram, and possibly Rameswaram”.
According to the book, the purpose of these attacks was not only looting, but also idol-breaking, i.e. destruction of religious symbols was its main objective.
The new NCERT book also contains a detailed description of the Maratha Empire. In this chapter, Shivaji is described as a skilled strategist and a visionary leader. He is described as a pious Hindu who respected other religions and rebuilt desecrated temples. The Marathas have been considered an important contributor to the cultural development of India. In the old book, Shivaji was described only as an efficient administrator and the founder of the Maratha state, but in the new book, his religious and cultural views have also been given importance.
The new book depicts in detail the rise and fall of the Delhi Sultanate, the Vijayanagara Empire, the rule of the Mughals, the resistance against them and the rise of the Sikhs. It is also worth noting that earlier, the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal history were taught in Class 7.
But now, with the changes in the new syllabus structure, it has been included in class 8. This new book is more critical, analytical and fact-based than ever before. It openly assesses the religious and military policies of the rulers, information about which was given only lightly in the earlier books.
NCERT’s revised syllabus on Mughals and other Islamic invaders triggers left-liberal meltdown
For long, leftist-Marxist historians like Romila Thapar, Ramchandra Guha, and Irfan Habib, among others, dominated the discourse on History in independent India. Their works often whitewashed the anti-Hindu Jihadist fanaticism of the Islamic invaders. While leftist historians eulogised almost all Islamic invaders from the Mamluks, Khaljis, Tughlaqs, to Lodhis and even attempted to justify the destruction of Hindu temples, levying jizya taxes and persecuting the native non-Muslim populace, their limerence for Mughals remained unparalleled.
Unsurprisingly, the left liberals are having a massive meltdown over the NCERT’s revised syllabus. They are claiming that Mughals are being ‘villainised’ by the ‘Hindu nationalist’ Modi government.
In this vein, Ruchika Sharma, a self-declared historian, appeared on IndiaToday’s program hosted by another Mughal fanboy, Rajdeep Sardesai, wherein she lamented that the NCERT syllabus has classified certain time periods as ‘dark ages’. She also claimed that several revisions in the new syllabus are “factually incorrect”. She also appeared on AajTak and made similar claims.
Is politics dictating school syllabi? Is this an attempt to villainize the Mughals? Or is this course correction by the NCERT?
However, it turned out that her own claims were factually incorrect. Sharma claimed that Akbar’s reign began in 1560 and that within two years of rule, Akbar abolished the Jizya tax. In reality, Akbar’s reign began in 1556, and he abolished the Jizya tax in 1564, that is, eight years after his coronation. It is also widely recorded in the historical accounts that Akbar ordered the massacre of 30,000 Hindus after capturing the Chittorgarh Fort in 1558.
The ‘wannabe Audrey Truschke’ with eye shadows also claimed that Jizya was simply a tax levied by the Muslim rulers; however, it was not a mere tax. The ‘jizya tax’ was a special kind of tax imposed on non-Muslims, primarily Hindus, with high rates. This cruel Islamic tax was a kind of reminder to the ‘kafirs’ that they are living in a Sharia-governed Muslim land.
She asked what the primary source of the NCERT’s assertion was that Jizya was imposed to incentivise the conversion of non-Muslims to Islam. Well, if we actually go into finding the ‘primary source’ for this, it is the Islamic holy book Quran. Surah Tawbah (Chapter 9), verse 29 says: “Fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day, nor comply with what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, nor embrace the religion of truth from among those who were given the Scripture, until they pay the tax, willingly submitting, fully humbled.”
In his book History of Aurangzeb, noted historian Jadunath Sarkar mentions that Aurangzeb reimposed Jizya to spread Islam. By imperial orders the jaziya was reimposed on the “‘unbelievers’’ in all parts of the empire from 2nd April, 1679, in order, as the Court historian records, to ‘‘spread Islam and put down the practice of infidelity.” When the news spread, the Hindus of Delhi and its environs gathered together in hundreds and stood on the bank of the Jamuna below the balcony of the morning salute in the palace-wall, and piteously cried for the withdrawal of the impost. But the Emperor turned a deaf ear to their plaintive wail.”
Excerpt from Jadunath Sarkar’s book History of Auranzib Vol. III
In her desperate attempt to justify the brutalities inflicted by Mughals on Hindus, especially Akbar’s ordering of the massacre of Hindus in Chittorgarh Fort, Sharma claimed that even Hindu kings looted, plundered and killed people when they invaded other territory. However, she conveniently skipped the fact that Hindu kings never forced anyone to convert to their religion or follow their traditions, while Muslim invasions were mostly driven by the Jihadist desire to convert Dar-ul-Harb into Dar-ul-Islam.
Amusingly, Sharma was trying to factcheck the NCERT, but ended up spinning lies about Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. She claimed that when Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj invaded Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar-ruled regions in southern Karnataka, he also plundered and ravaged the region. However, contrary to her imaginary claims, Shivaji Maharaj (1630–1680) and Chikka Devaraja Wodeyar (r. 1673–1704), though contemporaries, were never involved in any military conflict. The Marathas under Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Wodeyars of Mysore were no adversaries. She also peddled lies about the Aryan Invasion Theory and the Indus Valley Civilisation, even as historical and scientific sources have debunked this theory.
Meanwhile, Professor Mohammad Suleman, founding member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), has also expressed his chagrin over the revised NCERT syllabus of social science textbooks.
“Those in power, regardless of organization or ideology, are distorting history. It is well known and no secret. A country or society can only progress when history is viewed in its true context. Unfortunately, in our democratic setup, it is disheartening that those in power are rewriting history with distortions…” Suleman said.
Kanpur, UP: On changes in the NCERT 8th-grade social science textbook, Prof. Mohammad Suleman, founding member of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) says, "Those in power, regardless of organization or ideology, are distorting history. It is well known and no… pic.twitter.com/jJKKJlO8He
While the Islamo-leftist cabal is lamenting the NCERT’s revision of the social science syllabus, netizens largely welcomed the pivot towards educating students about the real, brutal but balanced history of India, especially the medieval history.
Lauding the NCERT, an X user wrote, “Finally NCERT shows some spine to tell the truth of Mughals & other invaders – new class 8 History textbooks to clearly talk about Mughal atrocities.”
Finally NCERT shows some spine to tell the truth of Mughals & other invaders – new class 8 History textbooks to clearly talk about Mughal atrocities pic.twitter.com/85Y6992zcl
Another one wrote, “This the best educational reform ever in the history of Bharat since 1947. After coming up with Mahakumbh and Bharat’s sacred geography, these are the best amendments done in NCERT books.”
This the best educational reform ever in the history of Bharat since 1947. After coming up with Mahakumbh and Bharat's sacred geography, these are the best amendments done in NCERT books.https://t.co/uMeVA6I9cH
Amidst the controversy, the NCERT has clarified that the modifications made in the syllabus were necessary and that the facts stated were “based on well-known primary and secondary academic sources”.
In context of the changes made in the Class 8 book, titled ‘Exploring Society: Indian and Beyond’, which highlights “instances of religious intolerance”, the NCERT said, “This textbook attempts to provide an idea about the geography, history (medieval & modern), economic life and governance of the country, from a multi-disciplinary perspective in an integrated way.”
The NCERT further stated that the council intends not to burden the students without information overload and to develop critical thinking.
“Class 8 being the last year of the middle stage, the students are expected to acquire broad multidisciplinary perspective in understanding of our past between 13th to Mid-19th century and how the various events of that period have helped to shape and influenced the evolution of India of today,” the NCERT said in a press statement.
“A cautionary note has been inserted in one of the chapters to make it clear that no one should be held responsible today for events of the past. The emphasis is on an honest approach to history with a view to drawing from it important lessons for a better future,” the NCERT added.
Why changes in syllabus on Mughals, Sindhu Saraswati Civilisation, and integration of Indic knowledge systems in the NCERT textbooks triggering left liberals?
The NCERT has been revising the syllabus of textbooks of all the classes, aligning with the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework 2023. The NCERT has integrated Indic knowledge with modern science into the syllabus of various classes, aiming to deepen students’ connection with India’s rich religious, and cultural diversity. The Indian Knowledge System is woven into the content and illustrations, enabling children to appreciate and connect with the vibrant culture and heritage of the country.
Recently released by the NCERT for the 2025-26 academic year, the textbook titled ‘Veena’ has been developed in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, aiming to connect students with both India’s scientific future and its civilisational roots.
One of the standout chapters, “Ganga ki Kahani,” captures the river’s journey from Gomukh to Gangasagar, taking readers through places like Haridwar, Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Kolkata. It offers more than just geography, narrating tales of ashrams, sadhus, and the grandeur of the Kumbh Mela, while also introducing cities like Patna and Kanpur, blending cultural, spiritual, and economic perspectives.
A chapter titled “AI” introduces students to the basics of Artificial Intelligence, how machines are trained to think, learn, and problem-solve like humans. It’s designed to spark curiosity and scientific thinking among middle schoolers.
While the NCERT’s push towards blending Indic knowledge and cultural heritage in the school textbooks has already discontented the leftist cabal, the fresh changes to present a balanced, fact-based, non-glorified history of the Islamic invaders have triggered this lot.
The left liberals, especially the historians, have long presented a glorified portrayal of Islamic invaders, particularly, Mughals. From accrediting them with bringing culture, food, music and ‘civilisation’ to whatnot, the leftist ‘scholars’ have always downplayed the role of Hindu rulers and the Hindu resistance against the Islamic invaders. In their bid to gloss over the brutalities of the Islamic tyrants, the leftist ecosystem created a loop of ‘citations’ to lend credence to their fictitious version of history to paint the Mughals as largely secular, liberal and peace-loving administrators.
And now, when the Central government is moving outside the loop of lies created by the leftist historians to provide the students with fact-based education about the history of India and its past rulers, the same Mughal apologists are crying hoarse.
Their outrage over the revised social sciences syllabus mirrors their earlier objections to renaming the Indus Valley Civilisation as the Sindhu Saraswati Civilisation, claiming that the ‘Hindu nationalist’ Modi government is pushing a Hindu-centric view of history.
The concerted efforts of the Islamo-leftists to discredit and downplay Hindu history, be it the glorious past, the Vedic era or the brutalities they were subjected to and fought against in the medieval era at the hands of Islamic invaders and tyrants, are now falling apart.
The Aryan Invasion Theory, which suggests that the foreign Vedic Aryans invaded the Indian subcontinent and clashed with the native Dravidians, displacing the existing Indus Valley civilisation, was debunked. The discovery of Vedic religious elements at Harappan sites, the absence of archaeological evidence for a violent invasion, as well as genetic studies showing limited Steppe ancestry in India, have devastated the Aryan Invasion Theory propagators. So far, the studies have hinted at cultural continuity rather than a disruptive and violent foreign incursion. Moreover, many scholars are of the view that the Vedic and the Harappan cultures could have been contemporaneous or even identical.
On one hand, the Aryan invasion narrative was debunked, on the other, the meticulously crafted pro-Mughal narrative has also been exposed in recent times. Leftists hold everything anti-Hindu dear, and even the slightest opposition to or deviation from their narrative devastates them. For long, the Marxist historians have projected Mughals as some sort of reformist and unifying forces against a so-called ‘regressive’ Hindu social order. They discredit Hindu history, dismiss anti-Hindu atrocities as exaggerated or contextually justified, to align with their ‘secular’ narrative that opposes Hindu ‘majoritarianism’. Probably, the left liberals want the younger generations, especially the Hindus, to remember only the imaginary goods of the Muslim rule and forget the brutal realities of those times.
