An explainer on the process of how NCERT textbooks are prepared, in light of a recent controversy over a class 8 textbook chapter on 'judicial corruption' that led to a Supreme Court ban.
The Centre has directed the NCERT to review all textbooks after the Supreme Court raised concerns about 'offending' content on corruption in the judiciary in a Class 8 social science book.
IIT-Gandhinagar is reviewing Michel Danino's position as guest professor after the Supreme Court directed institutions to disassociate from him due to a controversy over a chapter on judicial corruption in a withdrawn NCERT textbook.
The textbooks themselves have not been finalised by the National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC), he said.
Palshikar and Yadav, who were chief advisors for the original Political Science books for classes 9 to 12, said, "While the modifications have been justified in the name of rationalisation, we fail to see any pedagogic rationale at work here. We find that the text has been mutilated beyond recognition. There are innumerable and irrational cuts and large deletions without any attempts to fill the gaps created.
According to CBSE officials, an expert committee will be formed and a content development agency may be engaged to ensure updated textbooks are ready for the next academic session.
The 19-member National Syllabus and Teaching Learning Material Committee (NSTC) will be headed by National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) chancellor MC Pant and develop textbooks for classes 3 to 12.
A number of academicians as well as political scientists Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar, who were part of the textbook development committee of the NCERT, had asked the council to drop their names from textbooks over 'several substantive revisions of the original texts'.
The committee has also recommended highlighting 'Hindu victories' in various battles in the textbooks.
The suggestions have been part of the final position paper on social sciences, which is a key perspective document that helps in the development of new NCERT textbooks on the subject. The proposal has yet to get a final nod from NCERT.
The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT), however, said the withdrawal of anyone's association is out of question as textbooks at the school level are developed on the basis of knowledge and understanding on a given subject and at no stage, individual authorship is claimed.
Jayant Narlikar wrote alternative what-if histories, explained difficult scientific theories with funny analogies, and leavened his lectures with jokes and humorous asides.
The UGC chief said the NCERT is fully justified in carrying out rationalisation of its textbooks' contents.
The signatories to a letter sent to NCERT Director Dinesh Saklani include Kanti Prasad Bajpai, a former Jawaharlal Nehru University professor who currently serves as the vice dean at the National University, Singapore, Pratap Bhanu Mehta, a former vice-chancellor of the Ashoka University, Rajeev Bhargava, a former director of CSDS, Niraja Gopal Jayal, a former JNU professor, Nivedita Menon, a JNU professor, Vipul Mudgal, the head of civil society watchdog Common Cause, K C Suri, a former professor at the University of Hyderabad who is now associated with the Gitam University, and Peter Ronald deSouza, a former director of the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies.
'The global climate system doesn't look at where the carbon dioxide is coming from. 'It may be emitted by the US, but it will not remain above the US alone but covers the whole world.'
Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar on Friday resigned as advisors of NCERT text book council in the wake of the row over the cartoon of B R Ambedkar in school text books. "Yogendra Yadav, who was the chief advisor of the Textbook Development Committee, and Suhas Palshikar who was the member of the committee have resigned," sources in the human resource development ministry said.
The court said the Delhi government was "interested in appropriation of power".
The high court also said that Kejriwal's absence cannot allow students to go through the first term without free text books, writing material and uniform in schools under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
Dropping references to the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, the killing of Muslims in Gujarat riots and Hindutva, and tweaking the reference to Manipur's merger with India are among the latest set of revisions made public by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) in its textbooks.
The SERT, an autonomous body of the general education department, is considering a decision by its curriculum steering committee to include these deleted portions in the state syllabus.
Stating that the issue has been closed after the syndicate meeting at Mangalore University, he asked students to focus on education instead of getting into such issues.
References to freedom fighter and India's first education minister Azad have been removed from the new class 11 political science textbook by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
'We will bring up students with an imperfect understanding of their own history and a superficial understanding of science.' 'This is not what we should be doing to future generations.'
I did not take up research for any award.' 'What is more important is the medicine that I have developed.' 'This helps the patient recover and the family is happy that their relative has survived and they go back to their lives.
'It was Maulana Azad's foresight which created the IITs, UGC, science academies across the country.'
The governor's move has been welcomed by a large segment of the Indian-American community who were opposing the bill.
New syllabus, books endorsed by CABE amidst BJP boycott
The history of the Northeast, an area whose past is little known in the rest of the country, will now find a place in NCERT textbooks, says Arjun Singh.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday welcomed Rajasthan government's decision to include a chapter on iconic figures like Maharana Pratap in school textbooks and said he would urge the Human Resource Development minister to consider inclusion of such chapters in CBSE syllabus.
The Politburo Standing Committee -- the most powerful body in China -- is unveiled, but in a break from Communist party convention, no successor to Xi Jinping is named.
Kamath said India's economic climate had started improving.
The panel cautioned against falling into a debt trap.
Abheek Barua & Bidisha Ganguly explain why the US treasury should intervene if the overvalued greenback continues to rise.
G Sreedathan interviews Dinanath Batra, president of Siksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas and national convener of Siksha Bacho Andolan, who shot to fame after he was instrumental in getting American scholar Wendy Doniger's book on Hinduism pulped.
The new government has to make conscious efforts to rebuild social equality and bring the people together.
At the 53rd annual convocation ceremony of the IIT-B, Anand Mahindra urged graduates to focus on imagination.
Instead of taking up a plush corporate job, Shadab Hassan chose to start a school for underprivileged children.
As his party girds its loins for the battle to lead India, Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh appears to have the maths worked out in his mind on every possible electoral scenario. But about one thing he is certain: in no circumstances will the party stake claim to form the next government if it doesn't have a clear mandate. Edited excerpts from an interview with Aditi Phadnis
'... for two reasons: the poor quality of education, and the low rate of female participation in the labour force.' 'Unless something is done quickly to remedy these problems, India will just have a large population of low-skill, low-wage, males trying and failing to feed their families adequately.'
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