NCERT Textbooks: Article 370 Abrogation Added. Babri Masjid, Hindutva, Gujarat Riots References Removed. Know Key Changes

NCERT officials did not comment on the topics being dropped, asserting that the tweaks are standard updates and not specifically tied to the development of new books under New Curriculum Framework.

(Image used for representation purpose only) | NCERT has dropped references to sensitive historical events such as the demolition of Babri Masjid.

Source : Getty

New Delhi: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has unveiled a new set of revisions in school textbooks, which notably include dropping references to sensitive historical events such as the demolition of Babri Masjid and the killing of Muslims in Gujarat riots. Additionally, adjustments have been made to references regarding Hindutva and the merger of Manipur with India. Other changes involve replacing the term "Azad Pakistan" with "Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK)" and tweaking a paragraph defining the Left as those favoring "state regulation over free competition". 

NCERT officials did not comment on the topics being dropped, asserting that the tweaks are standard updates and not specifically tied to the development of new books under the New Curriculum Framework (NCF). These alterations, observed in Political Science and Social Science textbooks for classes 11 and 12, among others, are part of routine revision processes, reported news agency PTI.

According to a document outlining the changes prepared by the curriculum drafting committee of NCERT, references to topics like the Ram Janmabhoomi movement have been adjusted in accordance with recent developments in politics. For instance, Chapter 8 on Secularism in the class 11 textbook previously mentioned, "More than 1,000 persons, mostly Muslims, were massacred during the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat in 2002."

The NCERT has modified the statement to "more than 1,000 persons were killed during the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat in 2002," citing the rationale that in any riots, people across communities suffer and it cannot be attributed to just one community, PTI's report stated.

Abrogation Of Article 370 Finds Mention

Additionally, in chapter seven of the Political Science textbook for class 12 (Politics in India since Independence), the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has revised a paragraph to include a reference to the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution. This constitutional provision granted special status to the former state of Jammu and Kashmir. The previous paragraph stated, "While most states have equal powers, there are special provisions for some states like J&K and the states in the North-East."

In the revised version, an additional line has been added at the end of the paragraph, stating, "However, Article 370 that contains special provisions for J&K was abrogated in August 2019." Regarding Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the previous textbook stated, "India claims that this area is under illegal occupation. Pakistan describes this area as Azad Pakistan." The updated version now reads, "However, it is the Indian territory which is under illegal occupation of Pakistan and called as Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK)."

According to PTI, the rationale behind these alterations is stated as being in complete concurrence with the latest position of the Government of India regarding Jammu and Kashmir. Regarding Manipur, the earlier textbook mentioned, "The Government of India succeeded in pressurising the Maharaja into signing a Merger Agreement in September 1949, without consulting the popularly elected Legislative Assembly of Manipur. This caused a lot of anger and resentment in Manipur, the repercussions of which are still being felt." The changed version says, "The Government of India succeeded in persuading the Maharaja into signing a Merger Agreement in September 1949." 

In chapter 8, "Recent Developments in Indian Politics," references to the Ayodhya demolition have been dropped. The question "What is the legacy of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and the Ayodhya demolition for the nature of political mobilisation?" has been changed to "What is the legacy of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement?".

Similarly, references to the Babri Masjid and the politics of Hindutva were removed. The earlier paragraph mentioned events culminating in the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya in December 1992, symbolising changes in the country's politics and intensifying debates about Indian nationalism and secularism, associated with the rise of the BJP and the politics of 'Hindutva.' This was changed to focus on the centuries-old legal and political dispute over the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, influencing Indian politics and leading to various political changes.

 The Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Movement, becoming the central issue, transformed the direction of the discourse on secularism and democracy. These changes culminated in the construction of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya following the decision of the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court (which was announced on November 9, 2019).   

NCERT Tweaks Reference To Gujarat Riots

In chapter 5 titled "Democratic Rights," a reference to the Gujarat riots was dropped in the caption to a news collage. The earlier version mentioned "Many cases of human rights violations in diverse fields, for instance, Gujarat riots, are being brought to the public notice from across India." This was changed to "Many cases of human rights violations in diverse fields are being brought to the public notice from across India."

In Chapter 3, the definition of the Left was revised. The existing version referred to those who support government policies for the benefit of poor and downtrodden sections, while the revised version states that the Left often refers to those who support state control of the economy and prefer state regulation over free competition.

Both left and right are defined at conceptualise operational level,” the rationale given by NCERT said. The NCERT had last week communicated to CBSE schools that new textbooks have been developed for classes 3 and 6 while the textbooks for other classes as per NCF remain unchanged.

However, the series of changes will now be introduced in the books which are yet to hit the market even as the new session has already begun.