Barmer, Sept. 21 -- In the villages of Jalore, children are doing what no textbook ever could - turning their grandparents' memories into history books. By listening, recording, and writing down forgotten stories, they are literally creating the next chapter of India's cultural heritage. The project began as a simple homework idea by their school teacher Sandeep Joshi in 2018. Joshi, a teacher at a government senior secondary school in Rewat in Jalore district, decided to break the monotony of rote learning. Instead of assigning routine homework, he asked students to spend time with their grandparents or elderly villagers, listen to their stories, and write them down. Since then, schoolchildren have been sitting with their grandparents and village elders, listening to stories of freedom struggles, droughts, folk traditions, and everyday survival. So far, nine such books have been compiled, each capturing the living history of Jalore's villages. The response was overwhelming. Children returned not just with anecdotes but with entire chapters of local history. Over time, these handwritten notes were compiled and shaped into books - creating a new kind of history textbook, written by students themselves. The initiative has changed more than just academics. Students now find history more relatable, and their performance in the subject has improved. Elders, once sidelined, feel valued as "living libraries" whose memories matter. At the same time, a treasure trove of oral traditions and fading tales is being safeguarded for the future. "When a child listens to their grandparent, it is more than just a story. It becomes history when written down," says Joshi. Joshi explains that he initially introduced the plan to spark interest in history among students, but the outcome went far beyond his expectations. "Now, it is creating a new kind of history," he adds. For villagers, this project has become a source of pride. "We thought our stories would die with us. But now, children are keeping them alive," says 78-year-old Gopal Ram. Students, too, feel empowered. "I used to think history was only about kings and wars. Now I know my village has its own history, and I am helping to write it," says Rekha, a Class 8 student. Appreciating the initiative, social activist Bhuvnesh Jain said, "At a time when most children are glued to smartphones and families often struggle to find common ground, this initiative is creating a refreshing model of learning. It shows how education can go beyond textbooks, making classrooms more connected to real life and culture. In Jalore, students are not just learning history - they are becoming its authors."...