NCERT Class 12 syllabus revision excludes mention of Babri, Gujarat riots, Hindutva politics
The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has made significant revisions to its Class 12 political science textbook, omitting references to sensitive topics such as the Babri Masjid, Hindutva politics, the 2002 Gujarat riots, and minority communities.
FollowThe National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has undertaken significant revisions to its Class 12 political science textbook, which have ignited debates concerning the exclusion of references to contentious topics such as the Babri Masjid, Hindutva politics, the 2002 Gujarat riots, and minority communities.
According to media reports, these alterations, scheduled to be implemented in the upcoming academic session, mark yet another instance of adjustments made to educational materials, reflecting evolving sensitivities and historical narratives.
In Chapter 5, "Democratic Rights," has witnessed revisions where references to the Gujarat riots have been removed from a news collage caption. The rationale provided by NCERT for this modification is that the incident referenced is now two decades old and has undergone resolution through the judicial process.
Similarly, in Chapter 8, titled "Recent Developments in Indian Politics," several references have been eliminated, notably concerning the "Ayodhya demolition." Questions exploring the political ramifications of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and the Ayodhya demolition have been rephrased to focus solely on the legacy of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. The NCERT has explained that these changes were made to ensure alignment with the latest developments in Indian politics.
Beyond these adjustments, alterations have been made in references to minority communities throughout the textbook.
For instance, in another chapter, "Understanding Marginalisation," mentions of Muslims being "deprived" of development benefits have been replaced with descriptions highlighting their comparatively lower socio-economic status. Moreover, language adjustments have been implemented to present a more nuanced perspective on communal issues, with references to communal riots being rephrased to emphasize the broader impact across communities rather than singling out specific religious groups.
These revisions extend beyond political science to encompass history and sociology textbooks. Changes in these subjects include adjustments to references regarding the Harappan civilization, tribals, and people's movements. Notably, images depicting communal riots have been removed from the sociology textbook, with NCERT citing their lack of relevance in the present context.
The alterations made by NCERT have sparked debates regarding the portrayal of historical events and communal tensions in educational materials. While some view these updates as necessary to reflect a more balanced perspective, others express concerns about the potential erasure of crucial historical and social realities from the curriculum.
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