New Delhi: Former NCERT Director J S Rajput
was today conferred the `Jan Amos Comenius Medal and
Certificate` for exceptional achievements in the fields of
educational research and innovation, five years after he was
declared a recipient.
The award instituted jointly by the Czech Republic and
UNESCO was announced in 2004 for Rajput, but was delayed after
the HRD Ministry wrote to UNESCO, saying that certain
inquiries were ordered against him.
Rajput`s tenure as NCERT Director had come under
controversy for alleged saffronisation of history books during
the NDA regime.
However, the inquiry was subsequently dropped and the
MHRD then wrote to the UNESCO to release the award.
Rajput was presented the award by Jan Krueter, Charge
d`Affaires of the Embassy of the Czech Republic and Warren L
Mellor, UNESCO Representative to India in the capital today.
After receiving the award, Rajput said it was a matter
of satisfaction for him that the Supreme Court had upheld the
National Curriculum Framework for School Education of 2002 and
rejected contentions that it was against secular values.
Comenius was a Czech teacher, scientist, writer and
educator. The award was instituted in 1992 on the occassion of
the 400th anniversary of his birth.
It is granted to individual educators, scientists or to
groups of educators after they are identified through National
Commissions for UNESCO.
Bureau Report
