NCERT responds as experts seek exclusion from contributors' list over ‘academically dysfunctional’ textbook edits
1 min read 10 Jun 2023, 05:27 PM ISTThe NCERT however said that the withdrawal of anyone's association is out of the question as textbooks at school level are developed on the basis of knowledge and understanding on a given subject and at no stage is individual authorship claimed.
PremiumNCERT school textbooks have undergone a slew of edits in recent months, sparking outrage from several quarters. Political scientists Suhas Palshikar and Yogendra Yadav lashed out at the edicational body earlier this week, demanding that their names be dropped as ‘chief advisors’ from the now ‘mutilated’ political science textbooks. The National Council of Educational Research and Training has however countered the charge in an official clarification.
“Textbooks at the school level are 'developed' based on the state of our knowledge and understanding on a given subject. Therefore, at no stage individual authorship is claimed, hence the withdrawal of association by any one is out of question," NCERT said in a tweet following their request.
Earlier this week the contributors had written to the organisation asserting that they were ‘embarrassed’ to be credited as chief advisors. They dubbed the cuts in the textbooks arbitrary and irrational and said that the end results were “academically dysfunctional".
"We were never consulted or even informed of these changes. If the NCERT did consult other experts for deciding on these cuts and deletions, we explicitly state that we fully disagree with them in this regard," read a letter sent by the two to NCERT Director Dinesh Saklani.
“While the modifications have been justified in the name of rationalisation, we fail to see any pedagogic rationale at work here. We find that the text has been mutilated beyond recognition. There are innumerable and irrational cuts and large deletions without any attempts to fill the gaps created," they added.
ALSO READ: ‘Embarrassed to be associated with these textbooks’: Experts to NCERT
The dropping of several topics and portions from NCERT textbooks last month triggered a controversy, with the Opposition blaming the BJP-led Centre for "whitewashing with vengeance". While the NCERT had described the omissions as a possible oversight but refused to undo the deletions, saying they were based on the recommendations of experts. It had also said the textbooks were anyway headed for a revision in 2024, when the NCF kicks in. However, it later changed its stand and said "minor changes need not be notified".
(With inputs from agencies)
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