📷 Image Credits: The Times of India
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) Director, Dinesh Prasad Saklani, recently expressed concerns over the teaching of riots in school textbooks, emphasizing the need to create positive citizens. In an interaction with PTI editors, Saklani highlighted that teaching about riots can potentially lead to the creation of violent and depressed individuals. He argued that the focus of education should be on fostering positivity rather than instilling negative emotions. Saklani questioned the necessity of including references to events such as the Gujarat riots and Babri Masjid demolition in textbooks, stating that such topics may not be suitable for young students.
Saklani’s comments come in the midst of revisions to NCERT textbooks, where several deletions and changes have been made. The revised Class 12 political science textbook, for instance, now refers to the Babri Masjid as a ‘three-domed structure’ and has reduced the content on the Ayodhya issue. Instead, the textbook emphasizes the Supreme Court judgment regarding the construction of a Ram temple at the disputed site. Saklani emphasized the importance of creating positive citizens through educational materials and defended the revisions as a move towards that goal.
The NCERT Director refuted allegations of saffronization of the curriculum, stating that the changes were aimed at updating textbook content in line with recent developments and eliminating irrelevant topics. He clarified that the updates were based on factual evidence and were not part of any agenda to promote a particular ideology. Saklani emphasized the global practice of revising textbooks annually and noted that subject experts play a crucial role in deciding on the modifications.
As part of the curriculum revision, various topics in the textbooks have been either dropped or tweaked to align with the National Education Policy 2020. Saklani highlighted that the goal of the revisions is to ensure that students receive accurate and relevant information, without burdening them with unnecessary details. The NCERT Director’s statements shed light on the ongoing efforts to update educational materials and create a positive learning environment for students.
