Image for representation purpose only. , Photo Credit: KVS Giri
“Gandhiji’s death had a magical effect on the communal situation in the country”, “Gandhi’s quest for Hindu-Muslim unity provoked Hindu extremists” and “Organisations like the RSS were banned for some time” Class 12 Politics Among the lessons missing from the science textbook are the new academic session.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) claims that there has been no cut in the syllabus this year. The syllabus was rationalized in June last year.
Last year, as part of its “syllabus rationalisation” exercise, the NCERT removed parts from the syllabus, including lessons on Gujarat riots, Mughal courts, Emergency, Cold War, Naxalite movement, citing “overlapping” and “irrelevant” reasons. Gave. Other than its textbooks.
There was no mention of passages about Mahatma Gandhi in the rationalization note.
A note on the NCERT website reads, “In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is considered imperative to reduce the material burden on the students. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 also lays emphasis on reducing the content load and providing opportunities for experiential learning with a creative mindset. In this background, the NCERT started the exercise of rationalizing textbooks for all classes and all subjects.
“The present edition is a reformed edition after carrying out the changes. The present textbooks are rationalized textbooks. These were rationalized for the session 2022-23 and will continue in 2023-24.
The reasons cited for choosing the subjects left out during rationalization are – Content based on genres of literature in textbooks and supplementary readers at different stages of school education; To reduce the course load and exam stress in view of the prevailing pandemic situation; Satisfied.
Subjects that are easily accessible to students without much interference from teachers and can be learned by children through self-learning or peer learning and material that is “irrelevant” in the current context were also removed from the curriculum.
An education ministry official, who did not wish to be identified, said the new curriculum framework as per the NEP is still being worked out and the new textbooks as per the updated syllabus will be introduced only from the 2024 academic session.
Chapter on Mughals has not been omitted: NCERT chief
NCERT director Dinesh Saklani said, “The entire rationalization exercise was done last year, nothing new has happened this year.”
Mr Saklani clarified that chapters on the Mughals have not been ‘dropped’ from CBSE books, and said it is a “lie”. “That’s a lie. [Chapters on] The Mughals have not been spared. Last year there was a rationalization process as there was pressure on students everywhere due to Covid, NCERT director told ANI. The NCERT chief further said that the expert committees examined the books of standard 6-12. “He recommended that if this chapter is removed, it will not affect the knowledge of the children and an unnecessary burden can be removed…The debate is unnecessary. Those who do not know can check the textbooks… ,” Mr. Saklani said.
He said that even today students are studying the history of Mughals in the NCERT Class VII book. Along with this, the history of the Mughals is being taught in the empires in section-2 of the 11th class book. While the Class 12 textbook had two chapters on the history of the Mughals, theme nine was dropped last year, while theme eight is still being taught to students. No chapter has been removed from any book this year.
“We are working as per NEP [National Education Policy] 2020. This is a period of transition. NEP 2020 talks about reducing the content load. We are implementing it. NCF [National Curriculum Framework] It is being made for school education, it will be finalized soon. According to NEP textbooks will be printed in 2024. We are left with nothing now,” said the NCERT chief while stressing on the National Education Policy.
On Monday, Uttar Pradesh’s Secondary Education Minister Gulab Devi also denied reports claiming the removal of the chapter on Mughal Sultanate from CBSE and UP Board. “There is no change of any kind in our syllabus. Those who are running such misleading news, I request them not to run such news,” said Ms. Gulab Devi. “If there will be any further changes under the new education policy, it cannot be said. At present there is no change in it. The syllabus which was in 2022 will remain the same this time in 2023-24.