Know about NCERT controversy on Mahatma Gandhi, Hindu-Muslim unity, RSS
What's the story
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has caused a stir with its class 12 political science textbook. According to reports, texts such as "(Mahatma) Gandhi ji's death had a magical effect on the communal situation in the country," "organizations like RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] were banned," and "Gandhi's pursuit of Hindu-Muslim unity provoked Hindu extremists" were missing from the book.
Context
Why does this story matter?
This new controversy comes at a time when there have been reports of violent communal clashes across India on the occasion of Ram Navami. The recent violence in Bihar, West Bengal, and Maharashtra has triggered a fresh row in the country between the Hindu-Muslim communities. Last year too, Hanuman Jayanti and Ram Navami witnessed violent clashes in at least ten states.
Details
Here's what NCERT said on controversy
However, the NCERT clarified that no curriculum trimming took place this year, and the syllabus was rationalized in June 2022. Citing "irrelevant" and "overlapping" as reasons, the NCERT said it dropped lessons on the 2002 Gujarat riots, Mughal courts, the Emergency, Cold War, and the Naxalite movement, among others, from its textbooks as part of its "syllabus rationalization" exercise last year.
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NCERT director denies changes
On Wednesday, NCERT Director Dinesh Saklani also clarified that no new changes took place in 2022. "The entire rationalization exercise was done last year; there is nothing new which has happened this year," Saklani was quoted as saying by the news agency PTI. Notably, the rationalization note also made no mention of any excerpts regarding Mahatma Gandhi.
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Here's what the note on NCERT website said about changes
According to the NCERT website, "In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was felt imperative to reduce content load on students. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 also emphasizes reducing the content load and providing opportunities for experiential learning with creative mindset." "In this background, the NCERT had undertaken the exercise to rationalize the textbooks across all classes and all subjects," it added.
Further information
Some changes not mentioned in rationalization list: Report
In the midst of the controversy, The Indian Express reported that certain changes made to the textbooks were not mentioned in the note. Speaking to The Print, Saklani revealed it is also "possible" that some deleted portions may not have been mentioned in the rationalization list as "they were either very minor to mention, or there was some oversight while preparing the document."
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CPI MP writes to Education Minister over NCERT textbook changes
On Thursday, Communist Party of India (CPI) Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam wrote to Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan regarding the reported changes made to NCERT textbooks as part of a "rationalizing" move. According to the news agency ANI, Viswam also alleged that the exclusions are very serious and indicate the Centre's attempts to curtail critical analysis of society, history, and polity.
More quotes
Class 12 History appears to dilute Nathuram Godse's leanings: Viswam
"The new textbook introduced for Class 12 History appears to dilute Nathuram Godse's ideological leanings," he said in his letter. "A reference to this end was removed from the textbooks which are nothing but an attempt to conceal the role of RSS in the heinous act from the future generations of students," added the CPI MP.