Parliamentary committee on Education suggests evaluate of textbooks

A Parliamentary committee on schooling has known as for a evaluate of how Indian freedom fighters are depicted in class historical past textbooks and really helpful that “ancient wisdom and knowledge” from the Vedas be integrated into the college curriculum, stating that academic content material for college students must be “free of biases.”
The report of the standing committee tabled within the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, November 30, additionally highlights the significance of together with Sikh and Maratha historical past within the curriculum, in addition to gender-inclusive literature.
Notably, the standing committee which is headed by BJP MP Vinay P Sahasrabuddhe, has ten Rajya Sabha members on it, together with 4 from the BJP and one every from the TMC (Sushmita Dev), CPM (Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya), DMK (RS Bharathi), AIADMK (M Thambidurai), SP (Vishambhar Prasad Nishad), SP (Vishambhar Prasad Nishad), SP (Vishambhar Prasad Nishad (Akhilesh Prasad Singh). Besides, it has 21 Lok Sabha members, 12 of whom are from BJP, two from Congress, and one every from the TMC, CPM, JD(U), Shiv Sena, YSRCP, DMK and BJD.
“There is a need for discussing and reviewing, with leading historians, the manner in which Indian freedom fighters, from various regions/parts of the country and their contributions get place in History textbooks. This will result in a more balanced and judicious perception of the Indian freedom struggle. This will go a long way in giving due and proper space to the freedom fighters hitherto unknown and oblivious in the freedom movement. Review of representation of community identity-based history as of Sikh and Maratha history and others and their adequate incorporation in the textbooks will help in a more judicious perspective of their contribution,” the report talked about.
The committee has mentioned in its report that the NCERT and the state SCERTs ought to “incorporate the ancient wisdom, knowledge and teachings about life and society from Vedas and other great Indian texts/ books in the school curriculum”.
“Also, educational methodologies adopted in the ancient Universities like Nalanda, Vikramshila and Takshila should be studied and suitably modified to serve as a model reference for teachers…” it added.
The report additionally particulars a number of the committee’s “observations” resembling the truth that quite a few historic figures and freedom fighters from India’s independence wrestle have been proven in a “incorrect manner as offenders.” It was additionally instructed that the NCERT evaluate the foundations for creating historical past textbooks in order that the varied ages, intervals, and occasions are given equal weight and precedence in historical past textbooks.
“Similarly, it was observed that school textbooks do not give adequate coverage to some of the great Indian empires like that of Vikramaditya, Cholas, Chalukyas, Vijaynagar, Gondwana or that of Travancore and Ahoms of North-Eastern region, whose contributions in the expansion of India’s standing on the world stage cannot be ignored,” the report said.
The analysis really helpful that the curriculum ought to include sections on contributions by main figures like Mahasweta Devi, Kalpana Chawla, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, Kittur Chennamma, M S Subbulakshmi, and Savitribai Phule, amongst others as a result of ladies are underrepresented in class textbooks.
According to stories, the committee had said one other advice within the report which was adopted on November 26. It has mentioned that textbooks must be freed from biases and “instill a commitment to values enshrined in the constitution” aside from selling nationwide integration and unity.”
The committee had begun work on a report on college textbook revisions, with an emphasis on deleting references to “un-historical facts and distortions” relating to India’s nationwide heroes, guaranteeing proportionate references to all intervals of Indian historical past, and highlighting the function of girls achievers.
Meanwhile, the Indian History Congress (IHC), which additionally filed a deposition, strongly opposed the committee’s suggestions, saying, “While a review process is always necessary, this should be done involving recognized scholars from all over the country and with adequate attention to the academic content, derived from a research-based understanding of different historical periods.”
Report introduced earlier than Parliamentary Committee on schooling says Islamic invaders given extra significance in NCERT books
OpIndia has beforehand reported {that a} analysis report revealed by a prestigious assume tank in July, 2021, introduced earlier than the Parliamentary Committee on schooling has said that History textbooks revealed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and textbooks issued by the Kerala authorities give disproportionate consideration to Mughal rulers, caste points and barely mentions the achievements of Hindu kings, Indian saints, social reformers and many others.