NCERT textbook revision

Source- The post is based on the article “NCERT textbook revision: Why it happens every few years & what makes it controversial” published in the “The Indian Express” and “History textbook deletions: Why NCERT argument that it is trying to reduce pressure on students is weak” published in “The Indian Express” on 7th April 2023. 

Syllabus: GS2- Issues related to development and management of education 

Relevance- Issues related to syllabus and curriculum of textbooks 

News- Recently, revision of NCERT books has created political controversy. 

What are the revisions in NCERT textbooks? 

The textbook rationalisation has resulted in some of the most sweeping changes in the curriculum since the NDA government came to power.  

It includes removing all references to the 2002 Gujarat riots, reducing content related to the Mughal era and the caste system, and dropping chapters on protests and social movements, European presence in the Americas, etc. 

Have there been controversies around NCERT textbooks earlier? 

NCERT textbooks over the years have become the government’s medium for political communication and a battleground of competing ideologies. 

New textbooks drafted in 2002-03 were criticised for portraying the Muslim rulers of India as savage invaders, and the mediaeval period as era of Islamic domination.  

The UPA government made its own changes to school textbooks. In 2012, cartoons that were deemed derogatory to Jawaharlal Nehru and B R Ambedkar were removed from political science textbooks.  

Why are controversies created by NCERT textbooks revision? 

Many of these changes are seen as political. There are allegations that the rationalisation aims to align the curriculum with the ideology of the ruling party. Some of the changes appear to match the views expressed by members of the ruling establishment.  

The rationale for the dropping of the various chapters is that these deletions would not affect the knowledge of children and an unnecessary burden would be removed. 

But deleted chapters bring a different level of knowledge and understanding to the students. 

It is not a simple case of reducing the load. It is because many of the deleted chapters have not been covered by previous classes. Furthermore, the level of discussion varies in textbooks for different classes. For example, chapter ‘Confrontation of Cultures’ that has been deleted from the Class 11 history textbook, has not been covered anywhere previously. 

It is the deletion from the Class 12 history book that is the most striking. Most of the chapter contains fresh material and perspectives to understand the developments that took place during the mediaeval period.  

How to ensure that changes made in NCERT books are not questioned? 

It would not be a proper thing to never bring changes in textbooks. New research may throw up interesting sources or interpretations of periods, institutions, rulers and the common people.  

But these have to be based on rigorous research. Ideological orientation should not decide the history curriculum.