In a recent development, it has been revealed that a chapter in the NCERT Class XII political science textbook is being revised to emphasise the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. This revision is reportedly aimed at reflecting the 2019 Supreme Court verdict allowing the construction of the temple in Ayodhya. Notably, references to the December 6, 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid have been omitted from at least three sections of the revised chapter.
The NCERT, responsible for drafting school textbooks used by over 4 crore students annually, has undertaken this revision as part of its regular process. The revisions focus on Chapter 8 of the book, titled ‘Politics in India since Independence,’ which has remained unchanged since 2006-07. This chapter highlights the Ayodhya movement as one of the significant recent developments in Indian politics, alongside other key events such as the decline of the Congress, the Mandal Commission, economic reforms, and the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.
The original chapter contains a detailed section on the Ayodhya dispute, covering events leading up to the demolition of the Babri Masjid and its aftermath, including debates on secularism. However, the revised version of this section has not been made public yet, although the NCERT has stated that it has been updated in line with the Supreme Court’s verdict and its implications.
According to the NCERT, the changes are made to align the content with the latest developments in politics. Four key changes have been highlighted by the NCERT, including the replacement of references to the Babri Masjid with emphasis on the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Movement and the Supreme Court’s verdict.
This revision marks the fourth round of updates to NCERT textbooks since 2014. Previous rounds aimed at reflecting recent events and reducing the curriculum load on students. The latest exercise is also intended to assist students in coping with learning disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
