A lot of people associated with the Textbook Development Committee (TDC) of NCERT have asked not to mention there names in the ‘rationalization’ textbooks citing that the rationalization is a mutilation of our democratic values.
On the other hand many academicians have fielded themselves with alleging that a propaganda has fueled such member including chief advisors to the TDC from demanding not to mention their names in the revised NCERT textbooks where the NCERT has also issued a statement countering that NCERT holds the copyright and has liberty to mention the names of it’s members.
The issue can been observed from different view depending on the inclination one has especially politically cause everything has become political these days. Nevertheless, nothing can be more important than education and the same cannot be anymore emphasized.
But even though believing in Gandhinian socialism our public institutions and their infrastructures especially education and medical are plagued with inefficiencies to a point where a majoritarian perspective of private is better with respect to them has solidified into our consciousness.
Only the poor and low income population who cannot resort to private modes turn to these public infrastructures with a hope which still has not died.
As per the estimates of Oxfam Report published in January 2023, 77 percent of national wealth is with 10 percent of the population and that another 941 years for a minimum wage worker in rural India to earn what the top paid executive is paid in a year. Therefore, state intervention for education and health becomes imperative.
Value Of NCERT Books
NCERT books which are part of every public school and are known for their lower prices. This is because the paper on which it is printed is subsidized by the government which is not the case with private publishers.
Although increase in GST in paper has increased the cost of the NCERT books in past years but still these are more affordable to those who are lower and bottom levels in income hierarchy.
NCERT books moreover are integral part for students not only considering the economic position but also from the perspective that various competition exam including the top tier examination of UPSC demand thorough reading of these books.
Therefore, it is considered that having exposure of students to NCERT books during schooling help prepare students whose aim for governmental jobs through various examinations. Now continuing the above discussion it can be derived that government schools where NCERT books are widely used are populated by those pupils whose parents are economically weak.
Further on examining the category of economically weak it has been found that majority of the population who are economically weak are also socially weak. The social weakness can be attributed to the prevailing caste system, geography, etc.
Social Cost
The Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (GMPI) report published in 2021 has stated that five out of six people living in multidimensional poverty in India are from disadvantaged tribes and castes. Further the report provides figures that ST (50.6%) had the highest poverty level, followed by SC (33.3%) and OBC (27.2%).
Further a previous report from the same organization in 2018 has provided on the basis of data that every second Scheduled Tribe and every third Dalit is multidimensional poor. Multidimensional poverty defines poor not only on the basis of income but on other indicators such as nutrition, health, education, living standards and assets. Further, only 15 percent of the upper caste are poor.
Now when a majority of the poor almost 2/3rd belongs to socially disadvantaged classes primarily based on caste discrimination then this detriment is accounted in every facet of life.
The children of these classes/castes rely heavily on the state support for the education and health. NCERT textbooks which are important from school education to competitive examination provides students from these classes to be ready for competitive examination which help them secure governmental jobs thus getting out of the mud of social disability.
But with the rationalization drive of the NCERT books several important topics has been removed which initially were removed temporarily because of COVID drive but now the NCERT has taken the decision to make these removal permanent from the NCERT textbooks.
Amongst the various contents ranging from Class 6- Class 12 important are:
(1) Periodic table,
(2) Challenges to Democracy,
(3) Sstainable management of natural resources,
(4) Chapters on Darwin’s theory of evolution,
(5) Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, a freedom fighter and India’s first education minister,
(6) Mughal courts,
(7) Gujarat riots,
(8) The Naxalite movement,
(9) Dalit writers,
(10) Democracy and Diversity, and
(11) Popular struggles and movements.
For more detailed list you can refer to the link hereinafter mentioned – https://ncert.nic.in/rationalised-content.php. Now from a bare reading from anyone who prepares for any competitive examination some of these topics mentioned above are essential for preparation to get in government jobs.
As it is evident that coaching for these competitive examinations are very costly and generally away from the reach of the poor therefore an early exposure during school education of these topics which are being ‘rationalized‘ and later when preparing for competitive examination are significant.
With this rationalization of the NCERT books the poor who in most cases have very limited options either to join government services or remain in the social strata that they are in and opt farming or manual labour, they are being deprived of their right of opportunities as most will find difficult in their adulthood to go to coaching and pay hefty sum for the same obviously not without selling their lands.
Therefore, NCERT textbooks are vital for social and economic upliftment considering the right topics are taught. The topics as mentioned above are important for preparation for competitive examination and these rationalization is nothing short of snatching away the possibilities which in case of poor are only the alternative.
The arguments given by many academicians who have come in support of the NCERT and the NCERT itself that the courses are out dated and thus a revision or rationalization is necessary may be right, but is detrimental for society, especially for social classes who are at disadvantage because of social disability, when the rationalization is being carried out to fulfill political agendas and narratives.
NCERT is an autonomous organization without any governmental control should must take stand and not become tool for making political right for the historical wrongs which are evidently done for electoral gains.
Shikhar Raj Singh
Advocate,
Allahabad High Court, Lucknow Bench.
8004924270
www.shikharrajsingh.in