The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an apex resource organisation set up by the Government of India to assist and advise the central and state governments on academic matters related to school education. The model textbooks published by the council for adoption by school systems across India have generated controversies over the years. They have been accused of reflecting the political views of the party in power in the Government of India. In particular, during the years of Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled governments, they were accused of "saffronising" Indian history (i.e., reflecting Hindu nationalist views) and engaging in historical revisionism. [1]
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) was established in 1961 by the Government of India by combining a number of existing organisations. [2] [3] It is an autonomous body in principle. However, it is Government-funded and its Director is appointed by the Ministry of Education (formerly Ministry of Human Resource Development). In practice, the NCERT has operated as a semi-official organisation promoting a "State-sponsored" educational philosophy. [4] [5]
In the early 1960s, national integration and unifying the various communities of India became a major concern to the Government. Education was seen as an important vehicle for the emotional integration of the nation. [6] [7] The Minister of Education M. C. Chagla was concerned that the textbooks in history should not recite myths but be secular and rational explanations of the past. A committee on history education was established with the membership of Tara Chand, Nilakanta Sastri, Mohammad Habib, Bisheshwar Prasad, B. P. Saxena and P. C. Gupta, which commissioned a number of history textbooks to be authored by the leading historians. Romila Thapar's Ancient India for class VI was published in 1966, Medieval India for class VII in 1967. A number of other books, Ram Sharan Sharma's Ancient India, Satish Chandra's Medieval India, Bipan Chandra's Modern India and Arjun Dev's India and the World were published in 1970's. [8] [7] [9]
The textbooks faced political pressures from the inception. In 1969, a Parliamentary Consultative Committee wanted the textbook on Ancient India to state categorically that the "Aryans" were indigenous to India. But the demand was rejected by the editorial board as well as Thapar as the author. Further critical reactions came from Hindu and Sikh religious organisations that their respective religions and religious leaders had not been glorified. The Hindu Mahasabha and Arya Samaj claimed that the mention of beef-eating in ancient times went counter to the religious sentiments of the "Hindu nationality." [8]
Such controversies continue till today. The controversy centers around the charges of an attempted "saffronised" rewriting of Indian history (i.e., making lessons consonant with the Hindutva). [1] Allegations of historical revisionism with a Hindu nationalist agenda arose several times: under the Janata Party government 1977 to 1980 and again under the Bharatiya Janata Party government from 1998 to 2004 and from 2014 to the present.
Three months into the Janata Party government headed by Morarji Desai, the Prime Minister was handed an anonymous memorandum by Nanaji Deshmukh, former Jana Sangh leader and general secretary of the Janata Party, which targeted the NCERT textbooks. The books criticised were Thapar's Medieval India and Bipan Chandra's Modern India, along with two other books, Freedom Struggle by Tripathi, De and Chandra, and Communalism and the Writing of Indian History by Thapar, Mukhia and Chandra. (Only the first two were NCERT textbooks.) The Prime Minister forwarded the memorandum to the Education Minister suggesting that the books be withdrawn from circulation. In August 1977, R. S. Sharma's Ancient India was published, which was also targeted. The books were labelled to be "anti-Indian and anti-national" in content and "prejudicial to the study of history." The main issues seemed to be that they were not sufficiently critical of certain Muslim invaders during the medieval period and that they emphasized the role of leaders like Tilak and Aurobindo in the development of Hindu-Muslim antagonisms. The Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh launched a separate campaign against the books in its magazine Organiser . [10] [11] [8] [12]
The memorandum got leaked and a public debate ensued, which ran till 1979. The authors of the books argued for the legitimacy of independent interpretations as long as they were based on reliable evidence. The most hotly contested issue in the 1977 to 1979 controversy was the depiction of Mughal era (Muslim rule) India and the role of Islam in India. In November 1977, a committee of reputable historians was asked to examine the textbooks, which supported their continuance. [8] Nonetheless, the government passed an act in July 1978, withdrawing R. S. Sharma's Ancient India from the syllabus of the Central Board of Secondary Education. [11]
In 2002, under the NDA government spearheaded by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) the government made an attempt at changing the NCERT school textbooks through a new National Curriculum Framework. [13] Liberal historians raised objections to the new curriculum, claiming "saffronisation" of education by allegedly raising the profile of Hindutva cultural norms, views and historical personalities in school textbooks. [1] The BJP opined that their only goal was to overhaul the stagnant and saturated institutions like NCERT and free them from the alleged dynastic control and hegemony of the Indian National Congress and the Communists. [14] Party members also opined that their goal was not to promote sectarianism, but present a more accurate picture of Indian history and Indian culture (such as Vedic science), which they said was being downplayed by the left wing ideologues. [15] NCERT also attracted plagiarism accusations in 2003 mainly from the Frontline Magazine published by The Hindu. "Contemporary World History", a textbook for Class XII, has been found to contain several sections lifted from World Civilizations - Their History and Their Culture authored by Edward MacNall Burns, Philip Lee Ralph, Robert E. Lerner and Standish Meacham. The latter book, published by American publishers W.W. Norton & Company Inc, has a special Indian edition, which is the only authorised, complete and unabridged reprint of the latest American edition. [16]
The NDA was defeated in the elections of 2004 and the new UPA government pledged to "de-saffronise" textbooks and curricula nationwide and restore the secular character of education. [1] In March, the UPA Government released new NCERT textbooks, based on the texts used before the controversial 2002 updates. [1] The Ministry of Human Resource Development, which oversaw this project, stated that it had made only minor modifications to the books that predated the "saffronised" era. [1] In Delhi, the Directorate of Education, in collaboration with the State Council of Educational Research and Training, prepared 47 new textbooks, and other state governments were expected to do likewise. [1] In June 2004, a panel, composed of J. S. Grewal, Barun De and S. Settar, was constituted by the NCERT to review the new textbooks. This panel suggested that the textbooks that were being used in school syllabuses had poor content, were presented shoddily, and contained significant amounts of irrelevant information. [1] The panel recommended, to the Human Resource Development (HRD) minister, that the new books not be used until the defects could be resolved. This led the Delhi students to use textbooks that were used in school syllabuses from the pre-"saffronised" period. [1]
Press reports indicated that the rush to "de-saffronise" school texts resulted in Urdu versions not being ready for the academic year, which began in April. [1] The reports asserted that this failure hurt Urdu-speaking students by depriving them of needed textbooks. The NCERT however denied these claims. [1]
In 2006, the NCERT decided to amend a paragraph in its Class XII history textbook, "Modern India," after Sikh organizations protested "objectionable" references to Guru Gobind Singh. The original paragraph said that Emperor Bahadur Shah tried to "conciliate the rebellious Sikhs" by making peace with Guru Gobind Singh and offering him a high mansab.The revised version changed this to state that Sikhs raised a revolt under Guru Gobind Singh in the early 18th century, and after his death, under Banda Bahadur. The CBSE subsequently instructed schools to use the new paragraph and not to teach the original. [17]
In 2012, there were protests for removal of controversial cartoon on anti-Hindi agitation in Tamil Nadu. [18] Protests were held by Republican Party of India and other political parties against a cartoon on Ambedkar published in an eleventh grade text book. [19]
In April 2012, The Republican Party of India (RPI) Athavale group demanded a ban on an eleventh grade text book by the NCERT saying a drawn cartoon in the book insulted B. R. Ambedkar. The originally published book in 2006 wasn't recognized as part of the syllabus until 2012. On 2 April, Ramdas Athavale held a press conference and burnt copies of the page from the textbook prescribed in the political-civic science syllabus. Athavale demanded the resignation of Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal who also was the president of the NCERT board. RPI workers burnt his effigy. The cartoon figures on page 18 of chapter one titled "Constitution, why and how" in the book called Indian Constitution at Work. It shows Ambedkar sitting on a snail which is labelled ‘Constitution' cracking a whip. Behind him is Pandit Nehru, also shown with a whip. The caption says: "Cartoonist's impression of the ‘snail's pace' with which the Constitution was made." Athavale said the cartoon insulted the architect of India's Constitution and the people responsible must be dealt with. The NCERT too had insulted him, he pointed out. The issue created uproar in both Houses of Parliament. NCERT chief advisors Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar resigned on Friday after the government issued an apology and promised to remove the cartoon. Speaking to reporters, Palshikar said it seemed like the government didn't have an option and therefore decided to agree with the protesting MPs. "The caricature was a symbol of the progressive outlook in education. This has now been undone. We are of the opinion that as advisors we can have a different opinion. Hence, we don't think it's appropriate for us to be in this position anymore." [20]
Soon after that controversy had been solved, the Shahi Imam of Fatehpuri Mosque, Mohd. Mukarram Ahmed wrote to Kapil Sibal asking to remove a medieval painting of Gabriel the Archangel and another of pilgrims at the Kaaba from the chapter 'The Central Islamic Lands' on the ground that they were against Sharia. The letter, dated 10 September 2012 has also been sent to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, education minister Kiran Walia and NCERT chief Parvin Sinclair. "Jibreell (Gabriel) is the chief angel who brought messages to the Islamic prophet. The painting in the book is comical in its presentation of the Archangel. Secondly, the caption for the illustration on pilgrims at the Kaba states that they are 'touching' the stone even though it's customary to kiss it. But the Jibril painting is the most objectionable and will not be tolerated," said Ahmed in his letter. However, rejecting this, Najaf Haider, an associate professor at the Centre for Historical Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University said "The Gabriel painting was sourced from a 13th century text called Aja'ib al-Makhluqat , written by a renowned scholar, Qazwini. The second illustration was taken from a 15th century collection of fragmented pieces. The letter only states the paintings are against Sharia and doesn't exactly point out what's objectionable about them. Moreover, these texts (from where the paintings are sourced) were written in Muslim courts by people who were far more scholarly and pious than anyone can claim to be today." [21]
The poem Sabse Khatarnak by the Hindi poet Pash was included in the NCERT textbook for 11th grade Hindi students in 2006. In 2017, the BJP government affiliated RSS tried to remove it but failed. [22] [23]
The NCERT made two controversial changes to the class XII political science textbook ‘Politics in India Since Independence’ in 2017. It changed a heading of a passage describing the 2002 Gujarat riots from ‘Anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat’ to just ‘Gujarat riots’. [24] [25] In another class XII textbook titled ‘Contemporary World Politics’ the Aksai Chin region was shown to be a disputed area and coloured in the same colour as China. According to the NCERT, the controversial map was not a map of India, but a map of East and South East Asia published by University of Texas at Austin. [26] The map was replaced after a few months following media scrutiny. [27]
Before the commencement of the 2019–20 academic year, NCERT's decided to cut significant chapters from its Class IX history textbook: on clothing and caste conflicts; the history of cricket; and the impact of colonial capitalism on peasants and farmers. Similarly from the Class X History textbook, chapters on 'The Nationalist Movement in Indo-China', 'Work, Life and Leisure - Cities in the Contemporary World', and ‘Novels, Society and History’ had been deleted. NCERT's director Hrushikesh Senapaty highlighted that students must have time to engage outdoor. The syllabus of Social Sciences, which covers History, Geography, Political Science, and Economics, had 24 chapters in Class IX as compared to 15 each in Science and Mathematics. Similarly, Class X Social Sciences had 28 chapters as compared to 16 each in Science and Mathematics. This exercise brought down the total number of chapters in Social Sciences in Class IX and X to 20 and 25 respectively. [28]
On May 2021, a controversy arose on social media over a poem in a Class 1 NCERT Hindi textbook. The poem, titled "Aam ki tokri" (Basket of Mangoes), was criticized for its use of the slang term "chhokri" for a girl and for allegedly promoting child labor. An IAS officer, Awanish Sharan, started the ruckus by calling for the poem's removal. However, NCERT defended the poem, stating it was meant to expose children to local languages. Experts were divided on the issue; some believed the term "chhokri" was not derogatory and the poem's purpose was to teach phonetics, while others felt the depiction of a child selling goods was insensitive in today's context. [29]
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCERT performed the rationalisation exercise saying that it will reduce the curriculum load on students. The council stated that a key objective was to facilitate a speedy recovery from learning losses and compensate for lost time during the pandemic. In addition to this, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasized reducing content load to encourage a more holistic and creative learning approach over rote memorisation. NCERT also stated that the changes addressed overlapping content, material with a high difficulty level, and topics that were irrelevant or easily accessible to students through self-learning. [30]
The rationalisation heavily focused on removing Islamic history from the textbooks which was controversial. The BJP party and many of its politicians like Kapil Mishra welcomed the move to eliminate part of the Mughal history from course books. This action attracted severe criticism from various factions of the Indian political arena. The removed chapter was related to ‘Kings and Chronicles; the Mughal Courts (C. 16th and 17th centuries)’ from the book ‘Themes of Indian History-Part II’ of Class 12. In Class 7, a table with details of Mughal emperors Humayun, Shah Jahan, Akbar, Jahangir, and Aurangzeb was removed from "Our Pasts-II". [31]
From the Class 11th History syllabus, chapters like Central Islamic Lands, Confrontation of cultures, and The Industrial Revolution were removed. Additionally, in Class 10 political science, chapters on "Democracy and Diversity," "Popular struggles and movement," and "Challenges to democracy" were dropped. [32] Apart from this, from Class 12 political science book, Politics in India since Independence, chapter like The Rise of popular movements was removed while references to controversies regarding Emergency were removed. Furthermore, the NCERT dropped content related to the Anandpur Sahib Resolution following objections from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). The line "Anandpur Sahib Resolution could also be interpreted as a plea for a separate Sikh nation" was removed, as was the reference to "extreme elements" advocating for a separate Khalistan . [33] Also chapters like "The Cold War Era" and "US Hegemony in World Politics" were removed from another class 12th political science book "Contemporary World Politics". From the class 10 Democratic Politics-II textbooks, chapters like ‘Democracy and diversity’, ‘Popular struggles and movement’, ‘Challenges to democracy’ have been removed. [34]
From the Class 12 political science and history textbooks references such as the “dislike of Hindu extremists for Mahatma Gandhi’s pursuit of Hindu-Muslim unity” and banning of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) after his assassination were removed. [35] A comparison of the new Class 12 political science textbook titled “Politics in India since Independence” with its older version showed that a reference to how Gandhi's “steadfast pursuit of Hindu-Muslim unity provoked Hindu extremists so much that they made several attempts to assassinate Gandhiji” has also been deleted from the sub-topic titled “Mahatma Gandhi’s sacrifice” in the first chapter. [35] Gandhi was “particularly disliked by those who wanted Hindus to take revenge or who wanted India to become a country for the Hindus, just as Pakistan was for Muslims” has also been deleted. The references to the crackdown on organisations spreading communal hatred, the ban on RSS for some time, and the loss of appeal of communal politics, too, have been removed. [35]
References to Dalit writer Omprakash Valmiki were removed from the social science textbooks of Classes 7 and 8 as part of the latest revision. In the Class 7 textbook topic titled “Our Pasts-2”, pages 48 and 49 were excluded. These pages mentioned “Mughal Emperors: Major campaigns and events.” From class 12 political science textbook "Politics in India since Independence," chapters on "Rise of Popular movements" and "Era of one-party dominance" were dropped, along with sections on the 2002 Gujarat Riots, the mention of the National Human Rights Commission report on the violence, and former Prime Minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee's "raj dharma" remark for former Gujarat Chief Minister(and the current Prime Minister) Narendra Modi. [36]
In the Class 6 history textbook, "Our Pasts – I", sentences on the hereditary nature of varnas, classification of people as untouchables and rejection of the varna system were removed from the chapter "Kingdom, Kings and Early Republic". [37]
The deletions also affected Biology and Chemistry textbooks as the theory of evolution and the periodic table were also purged from class 10 NCERT textbooks. [38] [39]
After the Chandrayaan-3 moon landing, the NCERT released a reading module titled 'Chandrayaan Utsav' for middle-school students which drew scientific criticism for linking the Chandrayaan-3 mission with mythology. The module suggested that ancient Indian texts, like the 'Vaimānika Shāstra,' contained knowledge of flying vehicles. This drew criticism from the scientific community, which demanded the module's withdrawal. Scientists pointed out that a study by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) showed the concepts in the 'Vaimānika Shāstra' were not aerodynamically sound, and a plane built on them would not fly. Former ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair also stated that there was no physical evidence to support these mythological claims, calling them "scientific fiction." The Breakthrough Science Society (BSS) also joined in the criticism, demanding that the government stop presenting mythology as historical fact. [40] The NCERT initially withdrew the reading module after the controversy erupted but re-introduced it after the governent defended the content, stating that mythology and philosophy put forward ideas that lead to innovation. Reports also claimed that the 17-page module excessively focused on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's role rather than on the contributions of ISRO and consistently referred to the country as 'Bharat' instead of India. [41]
In April 2024, the NCERT revised its Political Science curriculum for grades 11 and 12. The revisions resulted in the omission of references to several contentious events in Indian history, including the Babri Masjid demolition, the Gujarat riots, and the role of Hindutva in Indian politics. The NCERT justified these changes as routine updates to reflect the government's current stance. Critics, however, argued that the revisions were politically motivated and aimed at downplaying the role of these events in shaping modern India. [42] Also in its Class 12 history and sociology textbooks, the NCERT introduced significant changes, particularly regarding the Harappan civilization and the Aryan migration theory. These changes drew both support and criticism for their departure from long-held academic views. The updated history textbook now casts doubt on the Aryan migration theory by suggesting that the Harappans were an indigenous people whose DNA has an "unbroken continuity for 5,000 years" with a majority of the present-day South Asian population. A sentence suggesting a break between the Early Harappan and later Harappan civilizations was removed. A new paragraph was added to assert the "unbroken continuity" of the Harappan people, stating that their genetic roots go back to 10,000 BCE. In the sociology textbook, a section on Adivasi struggles was altered to remove the claim that SCs and STs are marked by poverty, powerlessness, and social stigma. An image of communal riots was removed from a book. The phrase "caste backgrounds" was changed to "social backgrounds." [43] [44] [45]
Further revisions to the Class XI Political Theory textbook included a change in the description of the 2002 Gujarat riots, shifting from a focus on the suffering of "mostly Muslims" to a more general statement that "more than 1,000 persons were killed". A statement about Nehru's criticism of the majority community's communalism was edited to remove "majority community" from the sentence. [46] The Class XII Politics in India Since Independence textbook underwent more extensive changes. The name "Babri Masjid" was removed and replaced with "a three-domed structure". The revised text now refers to the structure as being built at "the site of Shri Ram's birthplace". The section on Ayodhya was shortened from four pages to two, and detailed descriptions of events like the Rath Yatra, communal tensions, and the 1992 demolition of the mosque were removed or changed. [47] The new version included a subsection discussing the 2019 Supreme Court verdict that led to the construction of the Ram temple. [48] The textbook also changed the reference to a "military conflict over a border dispute" with China to "Chinese aggression on the Indian border". Furthermore, the term 'Azad Pakistan' was replaced with 'Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir' (POJK), and a section on the abrogation of Article 370 was added. [47] A statement about the abductions of women was revised to remove the phrase "on both sides of the border". The definition of "Left" was updated to describe those who favor state control of the economy. The chapter on recent developments now reflects the construction of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya, and a question about the demolition was changed to focus solely on the legacy of the movement. [46]
Between 2023 and 2025, the NCERT gave Hindi titles to several of its new English-medium textbooks. Critics, including Kerala's Education Minister V. Sivankutty, viewed the move as an "illogicality" and "cultural imposition," arguing that it undermined linguistic diversity and federal principles. However, NCERT explained that the new names were chosen "thoughtfully to convey rootedness in India's culture." This decision broke from the long-standing tradition of matching the book title to the language of instruction and was seen by some as an attempt to promote Hindi in non-Hindi-speaking states. [49] [50] The name changes include:
In its April 2025 textbook release, NCERT removed all references to the Mughal dynasty and the Delhi Sultanate from the Class 7 social science textbooks. The content on dynasties such as the Tughlaq, Khalji, Mamluk, and Lodi was dropped. [51] In their place, new chapters were added that focus on ancient Indian rulers, including the Magadha, Maurya, Shunga, and Satavahanas. The revised curriculum also introduced a new chapter titled "How the Land Becomes Sacred," which covers sacred and pilgrimage sites across India. Additionally, references to the Maha Kumbh and various central government initiatives were included. [52]
On July 16, 2025, NCERT released a revised Class 8 Social Science textbook that sparked significant controversy. The book described Babur as a “brutal and ruthless conqueror, slaughtering entire populations of cities,” Akbar as a ruler whose reign combined both brutality and tolerance—including ordering the massacre of some 30,000 civilians at Chittorgarh—while Aurangzeb was portrayed as a military ruler who destroyed temples and gurdwaras, reinstated jizya, and exhibited religious intolerance. To contextualize these portrayals, NCERT included a “Note on Some Darker Periods in History” which clarified that students today should not be held accountable for historical atrocities, and urged them to engage with history dispassionately. [53] These descriptions were criticized by academics and educators for promoting a communal and ideologically skewed view of medieval history. The textbook also referred to “many instances of religious intolerance” during the medieval period, especially under Mughal rule. NCERT said that it aimed to highlight both the bright and dark sides of historical periods, but critics said the emphasis was clearly placed on Mughal atrocities. [54]
Also, references to Tipu Sultan, Hyder Ali and the four Anglo–Mysore Wars were removed. These figures, once central in older editions, were replaced by a broader focus on topics such as Vasco da Gama’s arrival, the Battle of Plassey, colonial economic exploitation, and tribal uprisings. [55]
Inaccuracies were found on the topic of the Ahom dynasty. The textbook stated that the Ahoms migrated from Myanmar, but historical evidence suggested their origins were in China. It also described the Paik system as "forced labor" and portrayed the 1663 treaty of Ghilajarighat as a defeat for the Ahoms, rather than a strategic truce. [56] Also former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik criticized the NCERT for excluding the Paika Rebellion from its history textbooks. NCERT responded that the rebellion would be included in the second volume of the Grade 8 Social Science textbook, scheduled for release in September-October 2025. [57]
In August 2025, Chaitanya Raj Singh Bhati, King (Maharawal) of the erstwhile kingdom of Jaisalmer criticized a map in NCERT’s Class 8 Social Science textbook that showed Jaisalmer as part of the Maratha Empire. He called it “historically misleading and baseless,” saying there was no record of Maratha rule or taxation in Jaisalmer. Other Rajasthan royals supported his objection. Due to this, the NCERT set up an expert committee to review the content. [58] [59]
Before the Independence Day in 2025, a new NCERT module named 'Partition Horrors' was released which started a significant controversy, as it blamed three key parties for the division. [60] The module, intended for secondary stage students, specifically stated that the culprits were Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who demanded the Partition; the Indian National Congress, which accepted it; and then-Viceroy Lord Mountbatten, who implemented it. The module even asserted that the Partition was not inevitable and that Congress leaders like Nehru and Patel accepted it out of fear of civil war. [61] The Congress party sharply criticized the module's narrative. A party spokesperson, Pawan Khera, called for the document to be "torn up" because it did not mention the role of the Hindu Mahasabha, which he claimed first suggested the idea of separate nations for Hindus and Muslims in 1938. He also stated that the Partition was the result of a "nexus between Hindu Mahasabha and Muslim League." [62] On August 19, the Congress-affiliated National Students' Union of India (NSUI) protested at Delhi University's Faculty of Arts against the what it termed as the RSS-BJP's hateful and distorted NCERT module. [63]
According to S. Irfan Habib, a historian, the rewriting of history is in line with the BJP's attempts to impose its Hindu nationalist propaganda. [64] [65] Habib said, “politicisation of students’ textbooks leads to the polarisation of the country by presenting a skewed past". He further called it "a conscious act by the present government to pursue agendas to further the religious divide in India by brainwashing young kids. The current government is assaulting the ethos of India by poisoning the school curriculum”. [65]
According to Apoorvanand, a University of Delhi professor, Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government "seeks to portray India as a historically Hindu-only land". [66] He adds, "marginalisation of Mughals and Muslims in textbooks mirrors what Muslims in Modi’s India are facing in real life. The recent textbook edits are part of a cultural genocide". [66]
According to Audrey Truschke, a historian at Rutgers University, "erasing Mughals from textbooks does not erase them from India’s history". [67] According to Harbans Mukhia, a historian of medieval India, the Modi-led BJP is using a strategy to win the next general elections in 2024 by unifying the Hindu vote by way of attaching the narrative that Hindus are under threat from Muslims. [67]
According to Aditya Mukherjee, a professor of contemporary Indian history, the removal of Mughal history from the textbook was an attempt to erase history of a particular community, which is usually followed by a genocide of the community. [67] [68]
According to Suhas Palshikar, a political scientist, the deletion exercise is an "act of rewriting" adding that the BJP government intends "not to mention inconvenient facts". [69]
According to Romila Thapar, NCERT's revised history textbooks presents a politicized and distorted version of India's past. She criticized the deletion of entire chapters and specific information, such as those related to the Mughal court and certain aspects of ancient Indian society, which she argued was an attempt to create a communal and one-sided historical narrative. Thapar believes this move undermined the principles of objective and evidence-based historical study, which she saw as crucial for a proper education. She maintains that the changes were part of a broader political agenda to promote a specific ideology rather than a genuine effort to improve the curriculum. [70]
Over 1,800 scientists, educators, and science communicators across India signed an open letter condemning NCERT's decision to remove Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution from Class 10 science textbook. The letter, issued by the Breakthrough Science Society, argued that excluding this foundational scientific concept would severely hinder students' critical thinking and understanding of the natural world. It emphasized that Darwin's theory highlighting the law-governed process of evolution without divine intervention has been central to rational thought since its inception. [71] [72]
Suhas Palshikar and Yogendra Yadav, who were chief advisors for the political science books said they were "embarrassed to be associated with these textbooks" after rationalization of NCERT books and wrote a letter to the NCERT seeking removal of their names from political science books. [73] [74]
Dr Ruchika Sharma, a JNU historian specialising in medieval Indian history, said NCERT’s revised textbooks misrepresented Akbar and the jizya, claimed they advanced historically incorrect assertions, and announced she would file an RTI to demand the sources and process behind the changes. [75]
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