The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has initiated significant revisions to its Class 12 political science textbook, prompting debates over the exclusion of contentious topics such as the Babri Masjid, Hindutva politics, the 2002 Gujarat riots, and minority communities. These revisions, slated for implementation in the upcoming academic session, reflect evolving sensitivities and historical narratives, according to media reports.
Notable alterations include the removal of references to the Gujarat riots from Chapter 5, “Democratic Rights,” citing the incident’s resolution through the judicial process over the past two decades. Similarly, in Chapter 8, titled “Recent Developments in Indian Politics,” references to the “Ayodhya demolition” have been eliminated, focusing solely on the legacy of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement to align with current political developments.
Beyond political science, changes extend to history and sociology textbooks, with adjustments to references regarding minority communities, communal issues, and historical events. For instance, descriptions of Muslims being “deprived” of development benefits have been replaced with discussions highlighting their lower socio-economic status, while references to communal riots have been rephrased to emphasize broader impacts across communities rather than singling out specific religious groups. However, these revisions have sparked debates over the portrayal of historical events and communal tensions in educational materials, with concerns raised about potential erasure of crucial realities from the curriculum.
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