Objections raised on NCERT content

When it comes to NCERT textbooks, controversy just follows. The objections, this time, have come from a statutory body — National Minorities Commission (NCM).

Within few days of HRD minister Arjun Singh releasing NCERT textbooks in April, with much fanfare, NCM found objectionable content in the books. Their objections were mainly in the social sciences textbooks of class VI and VII regarding Sikh and Jain community.

The Sikh community hadn’t liked the way some of their gurus were depicted. Also, there is no reference to Guru Teg Bahadhur as a martyr, as it was during pre-saffronisation period.

His death has been described just a killing resulting from a rivalry. There were also some objections on different wars of Sikh gurus with Mughal kings. On the other hand, objections by the Jain community were not many.

They were mostly regarding a few references to the religion and God Mahavira in the textbooks. However, the commission officials refused to elaborate more on the issue terming it ‘highly sensitive’ and ‘communal’.

The Commission got the objections raised on eight text books legally examined before issuing a notice to NCERT. Officials say that of the eight textbooks, three have already been scraped.

On the remaining texts, the NCERT has assured that the objections will be removed.