Kerala asks Centre to review NCERT’s deletions from school text books

The Kerala government has urged the Central government to review the NCERT’s controversial deletion of certain portions from Class 11 and 12 text books as to provide “a comprehensive and balanced education”.

Kerala General Education Minister V Sivankutty has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan making the request.

In his letter, Sivankutty said it should be ensured that children got a comprehensive and balanced education through text books, which he added was necessary to mould them as responsible citizens and future leaders.

Also read: Kerala mulls re-introducing history lessons that NCERT knocked off from school books

Recently, the NCERT had in the name of rationalisation of the syllabus dropped from its Class 12 history textbook certain portions on Mahatma Gandhi and how his pursuit of Hindu-Muslim unity “provoked Hindu extremists”.

RSS ban

The NCERT also deleted the portions dwelling on ban imposed on the RSS after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination in 1948. The revision of the text books has triggered a row.

Sivankutty pointed out that serious interventions were necessary to uphold the integrity of the education system and make the country’s rich and diverse history accessible to the younger generation. Expressing concern over the NCERT’s decision to drop key chapters and portions from the text books in the name of rationalisation, he said the decision must be reviewed at the earliest.

The Kerala minister pointed out that it was mentioned that the changes were based on the National Education Policy 2020 and the unprecedented situation due to COVID-19.

Also read: Scientists object to NCERT’s decision to drop evolution theory from Class X syllabus

Kerala objects

But the reason for exclusion of key chapters from Class 11 and 12 text books and the theory of evolution from Class 9 and 10 could not be considered as academic, Sivankutty said. The omission of significant topics like peace, development, the rise of people’s movements and Mughal history was an injustice to the children, he added.

Sivankutty wrote the letter to the Centre after he had indicated that the portions deleted by the NCERT were likely to be taught in Kerala schools. The autonomous State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT) is considering a decision by its curriculum steering committee to include the deleted portions in the state syllabus. The committee has entrusted Sivankutty with taking a final decision after consulting with the government and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

(With Agency inputs)