After all, the changes made by NCERT in the course from class VI to class XII came into effect from the new academic session.
These changes were decided last year. But these could not be implemented during the last session due to paucity of time.
Well, NCERT has been making such changes from time to time. Even after the NDA government came in 2014, this is the third time for change.
It is also necessary to change the course with time. The argument of NCERT also cannot be called wrong that the burden on the students was a bit high, which needed to be reduced.
Especially, this need was being felt more acutely after the Corona pandemic and the situations arising out of the lockdown. According to NCERT, last year for this purpose expert committee was formed for each subject and according to their recommendations History, Mathematics, Science, the content was reduced in all subjects including geography.
Despite this official explanation, if questions are being raised about these changes, then there are some solid reasons behind it. Some changes appear to have been sneaked in through the backdoor.
Last year, NCERT publicly informed about the changes made after the recommendations of the expert committee.
There was a debate about those changes as well, but when the books for this year came out in print, some changes were also seen in them which were not included in the information given by NCERT last year and these are not minor changes.
Among these are the important changes relating to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and the situation after the 2002 riots in Gujarat.
The question is when, how and at whose behest these changes were made and why were they hidden?
Secondly, the portions related to contemporary, medieval and ancient history which have been removed seem to be completely matching with the discourse which has been propagated by BJP and RSS.
There is no doubt that not only BJP and RSS, all such organizations have every right to keep their opinion and publicize it.
But as far as changes in textbooks are concerned, they should not be seen to be driven by the will of the party in power because parties with different views come and go in power in democratic system.
These changes should be implemented only after strictly passing the test of values and ideals associated with secular, democratic, socialist and scientific outlook enshrined in the constitution of the country.
