NCERT revises Partition narrative, adds Savarkar, and removes Hitler references
What's the story
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has released a revised edition of its Class 8 social science textbook, "Exploring Society: India and Beyond." The new edition includes several changes, including a revised narrative on the Partition. It now states that the Partition was "widely opposed even by the Indian National Congress" and questions if accepting it was "the only way forward." It drops the line that said Congress leaders were "helpless" as communal violence engulfed the subcontinent.
Content changes
Changes in narrative about Savarkar
The history chapter, "India's Long Road to Independence," has also been expanded to include a reference to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's call for Swaraj. The earlier edition focused on the Congress's demand for complete independence, but the revised version notes that "a similar demand for Swaraj was expressed by VD Savarkar in 1925."
Bose
All references to Hitler and Nazi ideology removed
Another major change is in the narrative about Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. The previous edition had said Bose sought Adolf Hitler's support to raise an army and described Hitler as a dictator whose racist Nazi ideology and expansionist ambitions triggered World War 2. The revision now simply says Bose sought support from "anti-British forces," removing all references to Hitler and Nazi ideology.
Chapter overhaul
Controversy over chapter on judiciary
The revised edition comes after a controversy over a chapter on "corruption in the judiciary," which was criticized for allegedly portraying the institution negatively. In February, the Supreme Court ordered the withdrawal of both printed and digital copies of the Class 8 textbook. The NCERT later apologized and started reviewing it. The latest edition was published after this review process in compliance with the Supreme Court's directions in a suo motu case.
Legal insights
Revised edition reflects changes in list of contributors
The revised judiciary chapter removes controversial references to judicial corruption and court backlogs. It now includes new sections explaining Public Interest Litigation (PIL), tribunals, and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. The revised textbook also reflects changes in its list of contributors, with 48 members credited in the new version as opposed to 51 in the withdrawn edition. Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar, previously associated with the controversial chapter, were removed from acknowledgements.