Apoorvanand

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Apoorvanand Jha

| image = ApoorvanandPhoto.jpg

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| birth_place = Siwan, Bihar

| nationality = Indian

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| residence = Delhi

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| alma_mater = Patna University

| profession = Professor

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Apoorvanand Jha is professor at the Hindi Department, Faculty of Arts, University of Delhi.{{Cite web|title=Department of Hindi, University of Delhi, Faculty|url=http://hindi.du.ac.in/faculty.html# |access-date=2020-07-31|website=hindi.du.ac.in}} He has worked on Marxism in Hindi.{{Cite web |date=2013-08-19 |title=Apoorvanand Jha |url=https://casi.sas.upenn.edu/visiting/jha |access-date=2024-07-22 |website=Center for the Advanced Study of India (CASI) |language=en}} He is also a regular columnist and political commentator.

Early life and education

Apoorvanand was born in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, grew up in Siwan and received his undergraduate education from Bihar University. He earned his Masters and Ph.D. from Patna University.{{Cite web |url=http://www.britishcouncil.org/going-global/programme/sessions/moocs-opening-access-myth-reality# |title=MOOCs going global, giving access: miracle or myth? |publisher=British Council |access-date=18 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140403124822/http://www.britishcouncil.org/going-global/programme/sessions/moocs-opening-access-myth-reality# |archive-date=3 April 2014 |url-status=dead}} He currently teaches Hindi at University of Delhi.

Academic career

Prof. Apoorvanand started his teaching career at T.P.S. College, Patna, a constituent unit of Magadh University. In 1999, he was invited to join Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya, a Central University set up by the Government of India, and was instrumental in developing the University's vision plan and first academic programs. In 2004, he joined the Hindi Department at the University of Delhi where he was instrumental in redesigning the department's academic program.{{Citation needed|date=July 2024}}

Published works

He had authored or edited the following books:

Sundar Ka Swapna (New Delhi: Vani Prakashan, 2001){{Cite book|title=Sundar Ka Swapna|isbn=817055781X}}
Sahitya Ka Ekant (New Delhi: Vani Prakashan, 2008){{Cite web|title=Details: Vani Prakashan|url=http://www.vaniprakashan.in/details.php?prod_id=218&title=SHITYA%20KA%20EKANT|access-date=2020-08-20|website=www.vaniprakashan.in}}
The Idea of a University (Chennai: Context, 2018){{Cite book|title=The Idea of a University|url=https://thewire.in/education/why-the-idea-of-a-university-matters-in-india-today|id={{ASIN|9387894258|country=in}}}}
Education at the Crossroads (New Delhi: Niyogi Books, 2018)

Political commentator

His critical essays have appeared in all major Hindi journals. Apart from his academic and literary writings, he also contributes columns in Indian Newspapers and magazines on the issues of education, culture, communalism, violence and human rights both in Hindi and also in English.{{cite web|date=11 May 2015|title=Smriti Irani's next: Common syllabus for Central Universities - Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-smriti-irani-s-next-common-syllabus-for-universities-2084751|accessdate=29 November 2017|website=Dnaindia.com}} He is a regular columnist at The Indian Express and The Wire. {{Cite web|date=2015-06-24|title=Apoorvanand|url=https://indianexpress.com/profile/author/apoorvanand/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=The Indian Express|language=en}} {{Cite web|title=Apoorvanand : Exclusive News Stories by Apoorvanand on Current Affairs, Events at The Wire|url=https://thewire.in/author/apoorvanand|access-date=2020-07-31|website=The Wire}} {{Cite web|title=अपूर्वानंद, Author at The Wire - Hindi|url=http://thewirehindi.com/author/apoorvanand/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=The Wire - Hindi|language=en-GB}} He also frequently writes on other platforms such as Scroll, Satya Hindi, Al Jazeera, The Kochi Post. {{Cite web|title=Apoorvanand|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/profile/apoorvanand.html|access-date=2020-07-31|website=www.aljazeera.com}} {{Cite web|title=अपूर्वानंद {{!}} Apoorvanand {{!}} सत्य हिन्दी {{!}} Satya Hindi|url=https://www.satyahindi.com/writer/apoorvanand/10018|access-date=2020-07-31|website=www.satyahindi.com|language=en}} {{Cite web|last1=Apoorvan|date=September 18, 2019|title=Apoorvanand, Author at KochiPost|url=http://qjk.9bc.myftpupload.com/author/apoorvanand/|access-date=2020-07-31|website=KochiPost|language=en-US}} {{Cite web|title=Apoorvanand|url=https://scroll.in/author/2696|access-date=2020-07-31|website=Apoorvanand|language=en}} He at times also appears on Indian television as a panelist on issues concerning Higher Education, language and communal-ism.

= Views =

==NCERT history textbook revision==

In his literary and cultural criticism articles featured on Al Jazeera, he expressed his disapproval of the alterations made in NCERT textbooks. He argued that the history of Islamic rule in India was being marginalized, despite its significant presence in school textbooks since Indian independence. Specifically, he highlighted the revised syllabus in CBSE schools, stating that the "legacy" of Islamic rulers in India was being erased from history textbooks. Apoorvanand claims that this revision, under the guise of "reducing the learning load on students", was actually a form of "cultural genocide". He emphasized that this revision was leading to the exclusion of important historical events, such as the 2002 Gujarat riots, the assassination of Gandhi by Nathuram Godse, instances of untouchability, and the caste system. He believed that this omission would hinder children's understanding of national history by concealing crucial truths and presenting India as a nation devoid of discrimination and violence.{{cite news |last1= |author1=Apoorvanand |title=India’s textbook purge: Why is Modi so scared of history? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/4/13/why-is-modi-so-scared-of-history-textbooks?traffic_source=KeepReading |access-date=20 February 2024 |work=Al Jazeera |date=13 April 2023 |language=en}}

=2020 Delhi riots=

On 12 September 2020, he along with Sitaram Yechuri, Yogendra Yadav and others was named in the supplementary chargesheet by Delhi Police for his alleged role in 2020 Delhi riots.{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/delhi-police-riot-chargesheet-sitaram-yechury-yogendra-yadav-6593798/|title = Yechury, Yadav, 2 professors, filmmaker named in Delhi Police riot chargesheet|date = 13 September 2020}}