ICHR - GOVERNANCE
News: ICHR
not rewriting history, but filling gaps: Education Minister
What's in the news?
● The
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the Indian Council of
Historical Research has no plans of
“rewriting” history but is filling “gaps” by incorporating all major
personalities and events which are not part of history books.
Key takeaways:
● Citing
examples, the Union Minister pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had
recently gone to Mangarh Dham, where
in 1913, the British massacred 1,500 tribals for their rebellion under the
leadership of Govind Guru.
● He
said the Modi Government has also decided to observe ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ in the memory of Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and
Sahibzada Fateh Singh (sons of Guru Gobind Sahib) who were martyred in the 17th
century.
● Mr.
Pradhan further questioned whether the country needs to know about Telugu
revolutionary Alluri Sitarama Raju
and Odisha’s Baxi Jagabandhu Bidyadhara
Mohapatra, who had fought against the British Government.
ICHR:
● The
Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Education, Government of India.
Aim:
● The
primary aim and objective of the Indian Council of Historical Research is to
promote and give directions to historical research and to encourage and foster objective and scientific writing of
history.
Legal provisions:
● ICHR
was registered under Societies
Registration Act, 1860 being an Act for registration of Literary,
Scientific and Charitable Societies in India.
Objective:
● To
bring historians together and provide a forum for exchange of views between
them and to promote, accelerate and coordinate research in history.
● Enhancing
the academic standard of the output of
ICHR activities has been foremost objective in its agenda.
Composition:
● An
eminent historian nominated by the
Government of India who shall be Chairman of the Council.
● Eighteen
historians nominated by the Government of India.
● A
Representative of the U.G.C.
● Director-General
of Archaeology.
● Director,
National Archives.
● Four
persons to represent the Government who shall be nominated by the Government of
India and which shall include one representative each of the Ministry of
Education, the Department of Culture and the Ministry of Finance; and Member
Secretary.
Functions:
● The
Council provides fellowships and
financial assistance to the young teachers in colleges, universities and
registered research organizations, as well as to senior scholars.
● Publishes
a biannual Journal - the Indian Historical Review, and another journal Itihas
in Hindi.
● Maintains
two regional centers namely ICHR North-East Regional Centre (Guwahati) and ICHR
Southern Regional Centre (Bangalore), which provide assistance to researchers /
scholars etc.