This week, the NCERT released English and social science textbooks that contain content that is “strongly rooted in the Indian and local context and ethos,” which aligns with the NEP 2020 model of education.
The new NCERT includes everything from references to government initiatives like the Atal Tunnel, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and Make in India to a new chapter explaining how pilgrimages like the Char Dham Yatra, visits to Shakti Pithas and Jyotirlingas, and holy sites from different religions make land sacred.
Government Initiatives Supporting “Make in India”
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 states that education ought to be “strongly rooted in the Indian and local context and ethos.” This is consistent with the material found in the social science textbook “Exploring Society: India and Beyond” and the new English textbook “Poorvi.”
Nine of the fifteen stories, poems, and narrative pieces in the English textbook are either written by Indian authors or feature Indian themes and characters, including works by Rabindranath Tagore, APJ Abdul Kalam, and Ruskin Bond. The book also includes articles about mountaineer Arunima Sinha, Karnataka warrior queen Rani Abbakka, and the national war memorial.
For comparison, the previous English textbook for class 7, “Honeycomb,” which was first published in 2006–07 and was based on the National Curriculum Framework 2005, had 17 stories, poems, and other writings, four of which were written by Indian authors (one about the military memorial; one each by Vasantha Surya and Sharada Dwivedi; one of their comics, “Gopal and the Hilsa Fish”).
Pilgrimages and Sacred Land: Cultural Significance
Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and “tirthayatras,” or pilgrimages in the Jain tradition, are among the religions that have holy sites and pilgrimages both inside and outside of India, according to a special chapter in the Social Science textbook titled “How the Land Becomes Sacred.”
It makes reference to the “estimated 660 million people who participated” in the recently concluded Kumbh Mela. The chapter introduces concepts like “sacred geography,” which describes networks of sacred locations like the 12 Jyotirlingas, the Char Dham Yatra, and the “Shakti pithas,” which are locations “across the subcontinent” where the body parts of Shakti fell.
The sacred ecology of India, which honors natural features like forests, mountains, and river confluences, is also highlighted. The Kumbh Mela, which takes place in Prayagraj and has mythological roots related to the “amrita manthana,” drew an estimated 660 million participants.
The chapter also discusses sacred traditions from places other than India, like ancient Greece and New Zealand.
When asked why a chapter on hallowed places was included in the geography section of the textbook, Michel Danino, the head of the NCERT committee for social science, wrote to the NCERT in response. NCERT Director Dinesh Saklani did not respond to the question right away.
Unlike the previous system, which separated geography, history, and civics into three different textbooks, the new Exploring Society integrates these subjects. Part One, released this month, covers the varna-jati system, ancient dynasties like the Mauryas and Guptas, janapadas and mahajanapadas, an introduction to the Constitution, and various forms of governance.
The textbook acknowledges that while the varna-jati system initially stabilized society, it ultimately became rigid, particularly during British rule, leading to inequality. The second section of this textbook is expected to be released later, according to officials.
These new textbooks for classes 4, 5, 7, and 8 will be released after similar improvements for classes 1 and 2 in 2023 and classes 3 and 6 in 2024. The National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023 and NEP 2020, which emphasize incorporating India’s diverse customs, beliefs, and knowledge systems into the classroom, are followed in the creation of all of them.
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