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NCERT textbook deletions: Sivankutty writes to PM, Education Minister

The Education Minister of Kerala, V Sivankutty, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to reverse the changes made in the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks.
 
Kerala education minister V Sivankutty has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan to cancel the changes made in the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks. Sivankutty wrote to PM Modi and Pradhan after the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Kerala sought the government’s agreement to release supplementary textbooks on topics that were omitted in Class 11 and 12 prepared by the NCERT. Expressing concern over the deletion of important chapters, the minister said that the changes like the omission of evolution theory, appeared to be not on account of academic reasons. Sivankutty asserted that removing portions relating to peace, fundamental rights and development in the NCERT textbooks is a total “injustice” to children. By doing so, we will “rob them of the opportunity to become good citizens”. “The rationalisation is justified in the name of the unique situation caused by the introduction of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and Covid-19. However, removing evolution from the textbooks in Classes 9 and 10, and removing the important concepts from science, history, political science, and economics textbooks in Classes 11 and 12 does not seem to be an academic decision,” Sivankutty said. The education minister stated that Kerala will come up with ways on teaching the deleted portions only after a discussion with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Meanwhile, Jayaprakash RK, SCERT director said that they will be launching the draft copy of the State Curriculum Framework (SCF) by May 15. Following this, the state officials will plan to commence the process of preparing new textbooks. He also added that the new curriculum will replace the current syllabus that is being followed since 2009. According to media reports, the SCERT has asked schools across the state to teach the deleted topics in NCERT books in Class 11 and 12. Earlier this week, the State Council conducted a meeting to discuss the addition of portions that were excluded by NCERT. They came up with the conclusion to publish supplementary textbooks for students. The topics that have been excluded by NCERT from the History and Political Science textbooks are the history of the Mughal Empire, the Gujarat riots, and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Education Minister of Kerala, V Sivankutty, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to reverse the changes made in the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) in Kerala had requested the government's permission to release supplementary textbooks for Class 11 and 12, covering topics that had been omitted by NCERT.

The minister expressed concern over the removal of important chapters, such as the evolution theory, which appeared to be not based on academic reasons. Sivankutty stated that removing portions relating to peace, fundamental rights, and development in the NCERT textbooks is an "injustice" to children and would "rob them of the opportunity to become good citizens". He emphasized that the rationalization of the curriculum could not justify the removal of critical concepts from science, history, political science, and economics textbooks.

Kerala will plan on teaching the omitted portions only after discussing with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. Meanwhile, the SCERT director stated that the draft copy of the State Curriculum Framework (SCF) will be launched by May 15, and the state officials will begin preparing new textbooks. The SCERT has asked schools across the state to teach the excluded topics in NCERT books for Class 11 and 12. The topics omitted from the History and Political Science textbooks by NCERT include the history of the Mughal Empire, the Gujarat riots, and the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.