New Delhi: Delhi High Court on Friday dismissed a renewed plea by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to be allowed to set questions on certain objectionable sections in school history text books that describe some late freedom fighters as "militants" and make derogatory references to some communities and historical incidents.

The plea by NCERT, the apex government body to advise on academic matters related to school education and the official publisher of school textbooks, was made despite the court's earlier direction for deletion of at least 20 objectionable paragraphs and not to set any question based on them.

Dismissing the plea, a division bench of Chief Justice M.K. Sharma and Justice Hima Kohli sternly warned National Council of Educational of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) as well as Central Board for Secondary Education (CBSE) against showing leaders and freedom fighters in a derogatory light in the textbooks.

The bench said, "The students must not be taught books passing such sweeping remarks and describing freedom fighters like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Bihari Pal, Aurobindo Ghosh as militants."

"The aim to impart education to the children is to make them good citizens so that they live in the country peacefully and harmoniously," observed the court.

The court asked NCERT and CBSE to prepare a curriculum, shorn of derogatory remarks and references to freedom fighters, historical incidents and various communities.

The bench had earlier directed NCERT and CBSE to delete all the objectionable paragraphs from the books, while specifically forbidding them from setting questions based on these.

The judges had said, "In our considered opinion curriculum should be aimed to give positive education and the 20 objectionable passages should be taken out by the NCERT textbooks from the next session starting from April 1, 2007."

The Arya Mahasabha and Brahman Samaj, in a petition had sought the court's direction for deletion of 75 objectionable paragraphs from the history books saying it had bad impact on young students.

Some of passages stated that the Aryans including the 'Brahmins' were beefeaters in ancient days.

"Cows are worshipped by the Aryans and Hindus since the Vedic period and nobody should be allowed to distort the facts," said the Arya Mahasabha. (IANS)