The removal of selected passages from Indian history textbooks in the name of rationalization of school curriculum has once again raised the fear of politicization of education.
Selective erasure of important periods of Indian history in the name of rationalization of school curriculum rekindles apprehensions of politicization of education
But Writing about the past, Winston S. Churchill once sarcastically remarked, “History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.” What the former British prime minister jokingly said is being tossed by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a major controversy erupts over the revision of textbooks for middle and high school students, which has been approved by the National Institute of Educational Research and Training. Council (NCERT) was released earlier this month for the students. Accusations flew thick and fast over the changes, especially with regard to recent history, as critics accused the Narendra Modi government of using the country’s premier course-setting body to cover up events that were inconvenient for the saffron dispensation. Are. The NCERT defended its actions, saying the deletion was made public last June and was done to ease the curriculum burden on students and help them make a “speedy recovery” from learning disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. were part of the “rationalization process”. It also said that its changes were in line with those prescribed in the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, which called for reduction in content. As a result, NCERT has reduced the syllabus in all subjects by about 30 per cent in the last five years.