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NCERT textbook row: 73 academicians release statement; call it false propaganda
The academicians said that unlike the selection process of authors in the previous times, the selection process this time, during the rationalisaion exercise, was far more transparent and ethically justified
Amid the row over substantive revision of the original syllabus National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks, 73 academicians including vice-chancellors of central universities released a statement alleging that a ‘false propaganda is being spread against the council.
They added that attempts are being made to derail the process of implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 for political agenda.
Also Read: 33 more academicians ask NCERT to drop their names from ‘rationalised’ textbooks
The statement comes days after 33 academicians, who were members of the textbook development committee for books drafted in 2006-07 based on the 2005 version of the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and are currently in use, wrote to the council stating that the recent syllabus rationalisation exercise has jeopardised their creative collective effort, and asked the council to remove their names from the current textbooks.
This was followed by two former NCERT advisors, Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar, dissociating themselves from the ‘rationalised’ political science textbooks.
In a statement, issued late on Thursday night, the 73 academicians, alleged their counterparts who wanted their names to be dropped from the textbooks were trying to capture media attention, and seem to have forgotten that textbooks are an outcome of collective intellectual engagement and rigorous efforts.
Starting that the school curriculum in India has not been updated for nearly for two decades, they said, “The last update of textbooks was undertaken in 2006. The current NCERT team has been making consistent efforts for reducing the burden on students and improving learning outcomes by rationalising the syllabus and making the content relevant according to current needs.”
“The scholars who have suggested the changes in the textbook have not suggested any epistemic rupture in the existing domain of knowledge but just rationalised the course content as per contemporary knowledge need.As regards the decision of who decides what is unacceptable and what is desirable it is argued that every new generation has the right to make additions/deletions to the existing knowledge base,” they said.
The signatories included Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) VC Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit, Suresh Kumar, VC of the English and Foreign Languages University, Sanjay Srivastava, VC of Mahatma Gandhi Central University,Motihari, Shambhu Nath Singh VC of Tezpur Central University, Shrinivasa Varakhedi VC of Central Sanskrit University, Sushma Yadav, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Central University of Haryana, Prakash Mani Tripathi, VC of Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, and B Das, VC of Central University of Jharkhand, among others.
The academicians said that unlike the selection process of authors in the previous times, the selection process this time, during the rationalisaion exercise, was far more transparent and ethically justified.
“The process of selection of the scholars for this task was thoroughly liberal, democratic and humanistic,” they said.
The signatories said that the demand of some academicians that students continue to study from 17 year old textbooks rather than updated textbooks reveal intellectual arrogance.
“In their quest to further their political agenda, they are ready to endanger the future of crores of children across the country. While students are eagerly awaiting updated textbooks, these academics are continuing to create hurdles and derail the entire process… Through misinformation, rumours, and false allegations, they want to derail the implementation of the NEP and disrupt the updation of NCERT textbooks,” they said.
They also invited intellectuals, academicians, and concerned citizens to sign their form to expose arrogant and self-interested academicians who want to derail the implementation of NEP 2020 and much- needed and long overdue updation of school curriculum.
UGC chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar also endorsed the statement and said that the criticism of NCERT’s revised textbooks is “unwarranted”.
“NCERT has been revising textbooks from time to time in the past too. NCERT is fully justified in carrying out the rationalisation of its textbook contents. NCERT has repeatedly stated that the revision of textbooks originates from various stakeholders’ feedback and suggestions. NCERT has also confirmed that it is developing a new set of textbooks based on the recently launched National Curriculum Framework for School Education and that current textbooks in which the contents have been rationalised to reduce the academic load are only a temporary phase. Given this, there is no merit in the hue and the cry of these “academicians.” The objective behind their grumbling seems to be other than academic reasons,” he said.
Ever since the rationalisation of NCERT textbooks took place last year, there has been an ongoing political controversy. The exercise had led to the deletion of references including passages on the theory of evolution, references to the Cold War, the Mughal courts, and industrial revolution, the 2002 Gujarat riots, the contribution of agriculture to the Indian economy, and a section on challenges to democracy
The changes were made during a syllabus rationalisation exercise carried out by the council to reduce the burden of students in view of Covid-19 pandemic.
In its response, NCERT had said that it consulted as many as 25 external experts, and 16 CBSE teachers for the entire exercise and revision.
According to a written response submitted by the union ministry of education in Parliament on July 18, 2022, the consultations were with experts in seven subjects, including history, political science, economics, geography, commerce and business studies, sociology, and psychology.
