House panel seeks focus on all faiths, women in books

The panel suggested that the Union education ministry, in coordination with NCERT, should ensure that the contributions of many unsung freedom fighters are incorporated with equal emphasis in textbooks.

School textbooks should highlight the diversity of religious teachings, a parliamentary standing committee has recommended, suggesting that this should be incorporated in the revised National Curriculum Framework (NCF). The rise of India in the global landscape in terms of economy and defence production should also be emphasised in history textbooks, the panel said.

The recommendations were made by the parliamentary standing committee on education, women, children, youth and sports.

The recommendations come even as the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) revises the framework that will lay down guidelines for school curricula and textbooks in line with the National Education Policy 2020. The recommendations were made by the parliamentary standing committee on education, women, children, youth and sports, headed by Bharatiya Janata Party member in Rajya Sabha, Vivek Thakur, in its action taken report, which followed the 331st report titled Reforms in Content and Design of School Textbooks, submitted in Parliament on Monday.

The panel suggested that the Union education ministry, in coordination with NCERT, should ensure that the contributions of many unsung freedom fighters are incorporated with equal emphasis in textbooks. It had observed that there were “incorrect” portrayal of historical figures and freedom fighters as “offenders”, “unequal” mention of various periods and dynasties,“poor” representation of Sikh and Maratha history and “under representation” of women in the textbooks.

The education ministry said it has accepted various suggestions of the panel and will incorporate them in the new curriculum framework. The suggestions should be shared with stakeholders involved in the development of the framework, the committee said.

Taking note of the ministry’s response that history textbooks of Classes 6 and 7 mention the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita, the panel said, “The committee is of the view that the department may make adequate efforts to highlight and present the diversity of religious teachings as brought out in all the ancient scriptures and educative/religious texts, through the school textbooks and incorporate the same in the revised NCF.”

The committee emphasised that local heroes — both men and women who have been ignored over the years — may be highlighted with their contributions to the country’s history and unity in the school textbooks. “For this purpose, groundwork being done for preparing the new NCFs may include reference not only to printed materials but also to local oral traditions through help of the elderly, and the study of folklore,” the report stated.

“The committee is of the view that the department in coordination with NCERT should ensure that contributions of many unsung freedom fighters get incorporated with equal emphasis in the textbooks,” it added.

The committee further recommended that progress made by India in the fields of economy, defence production and overall development vis-à-vis other countries, especially those that are of strategic importance, should be highlighted. “The interconnection between histories of India and other countries, especially in the context of India’s Look East Policy, may be reflected in the school curriculum and find place in school history textbooks,” it said.

While taking note of the specific action proposed to be taken in respect of increasing representation of northeastern states in textbooks, the committee recommended that similar efforts should be taken to ensure adequate representation of Sikh and Maratha history. “Hence, the committee recommends that true reflection of history of these communities may also be simultaneously ensured as part of the NCF,” it said.

In terms of the representation of prominent women personalities, the committee said that they should “find a place in regular books of NCERT rather than supplementary materials so that it becomes mandatory reading material”.

Noting that the ministry accepted its recommendation of having a regulatory mechanism for scrutinising the content of textbooks and other materials, the committee said that further action in this regard should be initiated expeditiously. “Also, the department may prepare a database of private publishers and authors and share suitable advisory in this regard for them to follow,” it said.