The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been at the centre of attention in recent months due to its rationalisation of syllabi and the subsequent removal of certain topics from its textbooks. This decision to reduce the syllabus has ignited a significant debate among educators, parents, and policymakers alike.
As per the latest media reports, NCERT has allegedly eliminated scientific topics such as Darwin’s theory and the periodic table from Class 10 CBSE science textbooks. Specifically, the chapters on Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, the origin of life on Earth, human evolution and heredity, as well as the periodic classification of elements have been removed.
In response to this allegation, the NCERT has stated that these chapters were temporarily removed during the pandemic as part of the syllabus rationalisation process. The chapter titled “Heredity and Evolution” has been modified to solely focus on “Heredity.”
While some individuals perceive this move as regressive, others have shared links to the new books, asserting that the topics have not been dropped but rather relocated to the Class 11 syllabus.
The rationalisation of these textbooks, according to the NCERT, was required to address problems like content duplication in other subject areas within the same class or in both lower and higher classes of the exact same topic, varying levels of difficulty, irrelevant content, and the requirement for readily available and self-learnable materials.
The most recent edition of the political science textbook for Class 12 has also been updated by the NCERT to remove references to Khalistan. The revision occurred as a result of a letter from the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) to the education ministry. As part of the textbook revision process, the council removed lines from Chapter 7, “Regional Aspirations,” which previously mentioned a separate Sikh nation and the creation of Khalistan.
The lines that have been dropped include: “But, it could also be interpreted as a plea for a separate Sikh nation (from para 1)” and “(from para 2) the more extreme elements started advocating secession from India and the creation of Khalistan.”
Furthermore, when the NCERT omitted references to the 2022 racial strife from its two Class 12 textbooks, chapters about the Gujarat riots were also dropped from the Class 11 and 12 sociology textbooks.
A few alterations have also been made to the Class 10 and 11 textbooks by NCERT. The Class 10 – Democratic Politics-2 textbook no longer includes chapters on democracy and diversity, challenges to democracy, or popular struggles and movements. While sections on the Industrial Revolution, the Clash of Cultures, and Central Islamic Lands have been omitted from the Class 11 textbook Themes in World History.
Additionally, there has been controversy surrounding the NCERT’s decision to rationalise its curriculum in accordance with National Education Policy (NEP 2020), as well as reports that chapters on Mughal history were removed from the curriculum. However, Dinesh Prasad Saklani, the Director of NCERT, has clarified that the chapters on the Mughals have not been removed, and the circulating news is false. As the NCERT continues to navigate the complexities of syllabus rationalisation, it is essential to ensure transparency and clear communication to address concerns and maintain integrity within the education system.
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