‘In Accordance With Curricular Objectives’: Govt Defends Exclusion of Tipu, Razia Sultan From Textbooks
The Wire Staff
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New Delhi: The Union government on Wednesday defended the exclusion of sections on Razia Sultan, Nur Jahan and the Anglo-Mysore wars from the Class 8 history textbook of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
Minister of state in the education ministry Jayant Chaudhary said that the objective for class 6-8 textbooks is only to “provide a broad survey of the Indian civilisation” from the pre-historic times till Independence. The minister added that the personalities featured in the books “have been included contextually and in accordance with curricular objectives.”
The minister was responding to a written question by Trinamool Congress MP Ritabrata Banerjee.
The government had drawn the ire of educators last month when it released the new class 8 social science textbook for the ongoing academic year. The book, in addition to skipping the mention of Razia Sultan and Nur Jahan, no longer features Tipu Sultan, Haider Ali and the four Anglo-Mysore wars.
"This new textbook is an integrated social science resource, comprising four themes – India and the World: Land and the People; Tapestry of the Past; Governance and Democracy; and Economic Life Around Us. Personalities featured in these themes have been included contextually and in accordance with curricular objectives. The textbook introduces new pedagogical approaches, emphasises refined classroom practices and presents a focused syllabus," Chaudhary said.
‘Tapestry of the Past’ includes sections on women like Rani Durga-vati, Ahilyabai Holkar, Rani Abbakka I and Begum Hazrat Mahal, the minister added.
"Education being a subject in the concurrent list of the Constitution and the majority of schools being under the jurisdiction of the state governments, the respective state government may adopt or adapt NCERT textbooks or develop their own textbooks based on the National Curriculum Framework. The states have flexibility to provide more coverage about regional personalities and events in their textbooks,” Chaudhary said.
Earlier, class 7 textbooks had sections on the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughals, but the new class 7 textbooks end before the 12th century timeline. As a result, this content was included in part one of the new Class 8 textbook.
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