The National Policy on Education was framed in 1986 and modified in 1992. Since then several changes have taken place that calls for a revision of the Policy. The Government of India would like to bring out a National Education Policy to meet the changing dynamics of the population’s requirement with regards to quality education, innovation and research, aiming to make India a knowledge superpower by equipping its students with the necessary skills and knowledge and to eliminate the shortage of manpower in science, technology, academics and industry.
In 1999 when NDA came to power, all NCERT textbooks were changed. In 2004, UPA replaced them again. Sparking fears of saffronisation of education in some quarters, the process to rewrite NCERT history textbooks may have begun. NCERT conducted a workshop for a quick review of history textbooks attended by scholars from all parts of the country, including council members of the Indian Council of Historical Research.
Since 1977, when Jana Sangh joined government as part of the Janata regime, there has been threat of changing NCERT textbooks, especially of history. In 1999 when NDA came to power, all NCERT textbooks were changed. In 2004, UPA replaced them again.
These books have been in use for more than 10 years and from time to time changes have been made and names of figures like Avantibai Lodhi were added.
For instence problem with class XII history textbooks and alleges that Jinnah is highlighted as much as Gandhi while there is no mention of revolutionaries. Emergence of nationalism does not get proper treatment.
What happened in rajasthan?
The national council of education research and training (NCERT) syllabus which was adopted in 2010 by the Rajasthan Secondary Education Board will now change to Indian sciences and give more emphasis on Mahatma Gandhi and other Indian heroes than on Mogul king Akbar.
The announcement was made Rajasthan state education minister Vasudev Devnani in the meeting of board management of education board. With this announcement the students of Rajasthan will learn more about Maharana Pratap and Prithviraj Chauhan.
The board during the Congress government adopted the NCERT syllabus as to prepare students for national level entrance and recruitment examinations. The NCERT syllabus was first started for class IX and XI and next year in 2011 it was introduced in class X and XII and then in other classes of government schools. Before 2010, the board was publishing books for class X to XII according to old syllabus.
Just after five years, the board again decided to publish their own syllabus and books for the students of class IX to XII and the syllabus and books will be published in the guidance of nationalist ideology specialists. “The syllabus will honour Indian history as well as contributions of Indians in science and mathematics,” said Vasudev Devnani.
Officials said that BJP government tried this pattern in their last tenure but were unable to change it. “There is nothing bad if students learn more about Maharana Pratap or Aryabhata in classrooms,” added officials of the board. He added that proposal of new syllabus was passed in the meeting and now a committee will be formed to prepare books accordingly