'Allegations baseless', claims NCERT, on being flayed over dropped Preamble

Amid backlash over the alleged removal of the Preamble from Class 3 and Class 6 textbooks this year, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) issued a clarification, terming recent media reports 'baseless'.

The NCERT, in a post on X, clarified that rather, the organisation is now emphasising various aspects of the Indian Constitution, including the Preamble, Fundamental Duties and Fundamental Rights, as well as the national anthem, as part of the NEP (National Education Policy).

The NCERT has noted that the recent textbook revisions align with the introduction of the NEP 2020. This year, new textbooks for Classes 3 and 6 have been published in accordance with the updated national curriculum framework, it said.

Earlier, various news reports claimed that the Preamble had been omitted from some textbooks in key academic subjects such as the languages and environmental studies (EVS).

Historically, the Preamble appeared in the initial pages of several Class VI textbooks, such as Durva (Hindi), Honeysuckle (English), and various EVS books. Now, the new English textbook Poorvi and the Sanskrit textbook Deepakam feature the national anthem and the national song, though not the Preamble. Notably, the previous Sanskrit book, Ruchira, also did not include the Preamble.

When the news reports came out, several individuals criticised the Modi government, accusing it of attempting to saffronise education and transform India into a Hindu rashtra by removing the Constitution from the textbooks. The student wing of the Congress party, the NSUI, called it a troubling departure from the past.

'The BJP's removal of the Preamble from NCERT textbooks underscores a troubling departure from the core principles of our Constitution—Justice, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity in favour of a vision of Hindu Rashtra over these democratic values,' reads a post written by the NSUI on X.

The government, not surprisingly, defended the NCERT.

'The allegations of removing the Preamble of the Constitution from NCERT textbooks have no basis. For the first time under the National Education Policy has given due importance... Following the NEP's vision for the holistic development of children, all these aspects are being included in age-appropriate textbooks for various stages,' wrote minister of education Dharmendra Pradhan on X.

Now, who should we heed? Possibly, in the best traditions of education anywhere, it is time to crack open a book, examine all sides of the mind and decide for ourselves?