Kerala Compiles Deleted NCERT Portions In Student Textbooks, Says Minister Sivankutty

Kerala compiles the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) deleted content into student textbooks.

Kerala only state to compile portions deleted by NCERT in new textbooks for students.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government proudly announced on Monday that it is the only state in the country to have compiled all the portions omitted by the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) from school textbooks. They have used these compiled portions to create a new textbook for students to study and use for exams. V Sivankutty, the State General Education Minister said that this decision aligns with Kerala's outstanding educational history.

The announcement was a direct response to a query posed by the UDF opposition during a session of the state assembly, specifically addressing concerns related to the implementation of the National Education Policy 2023. Kerala's proactive initiative underscores its dedication to upholding its distinctive educational standards and its determination to retain and provide content it considers essential and valuable to its students.

Sivankutty said the policy has not been completely accepted in the country as Tamil Nadu has rejected it in entirety and Karnataka has only agreed to implement some portions of it.

Moreover, the State General Education Minister pointed out that the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has removed significant content from textbooks for classes 11 and 12. This excluded material includes topics such as the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and the alleged role of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) in it, portions related to the Mughal rule and empire in India, segments of the Indian freedom struggle, and accounts of certain communal riots. The Kerala government's effort to compile and retain this omitted content is in line with its commitment to providing a comprehensive and diverse education to its students.

"So, we compiled all the deleted portions and created a new textbook. It is not a mere textbook, but a syllabus which students can study and take exams on," he said.

The supplementary textbooks were released by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in August this year.

While releasing the books, Vijayan had strongly criticised the NCERT for its omission of key portions from school textbooks and said that the move was with the political intention of creating a society rooted in hatred and animosity.