New Delhi: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has effected several changes in Social Science textbooks for the academic year 2024-25.
Some of the significant changes are references to abrogation of Article 370, replacing ‘Azad Pakistan’ with ‘Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK)’, revising a paragraph defining the Left as those who prefer “state regulation over free competition” and references to Manipur.
NCERT’s updated content will be reflected in the textbooks which will be released later this month. These books will be used by over 40 million students across India, reported Hindustan Times.
In Chapter 7 of Class XII Political Science textbook, titled ‘Politics in India since Independence’, NCERT a paragraph has been revised to include a reference to abrogation of Article 370.
“While most of the states have equal powers, there are special provisions for some states like J&K and the states in the North-East,” the previous paragraph read.
In the updated version, one line has been added at the end of the paragraph which states: “However, Article 370 that contains special provisions for J&K, was abrogated in August 2019.”
NCERT has also replaced ‘Azad Pakistan’ with ‘Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK)’ in a paragraph on the border dispute, in the same paragraph.
The previous version read, “India claims that this area is under illegal occupation. Pakistan describes this area as ‘Azad Pakistan”. It has been changed to: “It is the Indian territory which is under illegal occupation of Pakistan called as Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (POJK).”
According to NCERT, the change introduced is in “complete concurrence with the latest position of the Govt of India in regard to Jammu and Kashmir.”
In the first chapter of the book, NCERT has replaced a paragraph on Manipur.
While the existing version said, “The Government of India succeeded in pressurising the Maharaja into signing a Merger Agreement in September 1949, without consulting the popularly elected Legislative Assembly of Manipur. This caused a lot of anger and resentment,” the revised version will read, “The Government of India succeeded in persuading the Maharaja into signing a Merger Agreement in September 1949.”
Explaining the change, NCERT said: “Language has been changed.”
In Chapter 3, NCERT has revised the definition of the Left in a box item.
From the existing “Left often refers to those who are in favour of the poor, downtrodden sections and support government policies for the benefit of these sections”, the revised says, “Left often refers to those who are in favour of state control of the economy and prefers state regulation over free competition.”
“Both left and right are defined at conceptual and operational level,” the NCERT said.
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