A group of 73 academicians, including vice-chancellors of central universities, directors of NITs, and chairpersons of IIMs, criticized the withdrawal of names from NCERT textbooks as a spectacle orchestrated by some arrogant and self-interested individuals. They accused these people of disrupting the necessary process of updating the curriculum. Earlier, academicians and political scientists Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar, who were part of the NCERT’s textbook development committee, had requested the council to remove their names from the textbooks due to substantial revisions of the original texts.
In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the signatories claimed that deliberate attempts had been made over the past three months to tarnish the reputation of the NCERT and this reflected the intellectual arrogance of academicians who insisted on students studying outdated textbooks. The statement included prominent figures such as Vice Chancellors of JNU, Tezpur University, Mahatma Gandhi Central University, The English and Foreign Languages University, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi University, Bangalore University, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, NIT Jalandhar Director, Chairman of the Board of Governors at IIM Kashipur, ICSSR secretary, and NIOS chairman.
The statement expressed that academicians seeking media attention through this name-withdrawal spectacle seemed to forget that textbooks are the result of collective intellectual engagement and rigorous efforts. It argued that the scholars suggesting changes in the textbooks did not propose a complete overhaul of existing knowledge but simply rationalized the course content to align with contemporary needs. The statement emphasized that each new generation has the right to contribute to and modify the existing knowledge base.
The NCERT, on the other hand, stated that the withdrawal of anyone’s association was not even under consideration, as school-level textbooks are developed based on collective knowledge and understanding of a subject, without individual authorship claims at any stage. The joint statement accused those criticizing the updates of spreading misinformation, rumours, and false allegations in an attempt to obstruct the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP 2020) and disrupt the updating of NCERT textbooks. It condemned the demand for students to continue studying from outdated textbooks instead of using updated ones that reflect contemporary developments and pedagogical advancements.
The statement further criticized these academicians for prioritizing their political agenda over the future of millions of children across the country. It argued that while students eagerly awaited updated textbooks, these academicians continued to create obstacles and derail the entire process.
The controversy surrounding the deletion of certain topics and portions from NCERT textbooks last month sparked a heated debate, with the opposition accusing the BJP-led Centre of deliberate whitewashing. The controversy arose because while the changes made as part of the rationalization exercise were notified, some of the controversial deletions were not mentioned, leading to allegations of surreptitious deletion attempts.
Initially, the NCERT described the omissions as a possible oversight but refused to reverse the deletions, stating that they were based on expert recommendations. It also stated that the textbooks were scheduled for revision in 2024, coinciding with the implementation of the National Curriculum Framework. However, it later changed its stance, stating that “minor changes need not be notified.”
