To be sure, references to the same subjects might occur elsewhere in the textbook. The body posted the modifications on its official website — ncert.nic.in — on April 4, Hindustan Times reported. 

The body stated that the content has been updated in view of the latest developments in politics. About 30,000 schools in India are affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education, which oversees the teaching of the NCERT textbooks.

NCERT syllabus: Here are top 5 modifications in new books

1) References to “Ayodhya demolition” were dropped in chapter 8 titled “Recent Developments in Indian Politics”. Another chapter named “What is the legacy of Ram Janambhoomi movement and the Ayodhya demolition for the nature of political mobilisation?” changed to “What is the legacy of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement?” In the same chapter, references to Babri Masjid and the politics of Hindutva were removed. 

“Fourth, a number of events culminated in the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya (known as Babri Masjid) in December 1992. This event symbolised and triggered various changes in the politics of the country and intensified debates about the nature of Indian nationalism and secularism. These developments are associated with the rise of the BJP and the politics of ‘Hindutva’,” the paragraph earlier read as quoted by HT. 

Now, it has been changed to “Fourth, the centuries old legal and political dispute over the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya started influencing the politics of India which gave birth 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).”

2) In another chapter titled “Democratic Rights”, references to the Gujarat riots were dropped. “Do you notice references to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in the news collage on this Page ? These references reflect the growing awareness of human rights and struggles for human dignity. Many cases of human rights violations in diverse fields, for instance, Gujarat riots, are being brought to the public notice from across India,” the earlier paragraph said. 

“Many cases of human rights violations in diverse fields are being brought to the public notice from across India,” the latest version read, citing HT reports. 

3) The mention of the Muslim community has also been altered in the same chapter in some places. “According to 2011 census, Muslims are 14.2% of India’s population and are considered to be a marginalised community in India today because in comparison to other communities, they have over the years been deprived of the benefits of socio-economic development,” the previous paragraph read. 

“According to 2011 census, Muslims are 14.2% of India’s population and are considered to be a marginalised community because of their having comparatively lower status of socio-economic development,” the updated content read, as per HT reports. 

4) Another chapter titled “Secularism” also witnessed a change in “more than 1,000 persons, mostly Muslims, were massacred during the post Godhra riots in Gujarat in 2002″ sentence. It has been altered to “more than 1,000 persons were killed during the post Godhra riots in Gujarat in 2002″. 

5) Some explicit references have also been made to China in the new books. “..military conflict over a border dispute between the two countries marred that hope,” this sentence has been updated to “…Chinese aggression on the Indian border has marred that hope.”

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Published: 05 Apr 2024, 09:17 AM IST