US EditionNCERT Asked to Add Bhagavad Gita to School Syllabus; Class 8 Book Revision Shows ‘Intolerance’ Under Mughals
INDIA, JUL 15 – The textbook portrays Mughal rulers as both brutal and tolerant, highlighting temple destructions and resistance by Indian communities amid revised history lessons under new education policies.
- On Thursday, NCERT released Part 1 of 'Exploring Society: India and Beyond' for the 2025-26 academic year, portraying Babur, Akbar and Aurangzeb as intellectuals who plundered the Indian population.
- Aligned with NEP 2020 and the NCF-SE 2023, the new textbooks introduce a revamped syllabus, design and pedagogical tools, and the preface argues that confronting history’s darker episodes helps prevent their recurrence.
- The textbook details the massacre of 30,000 civilians at Chittor fort, temple destructions at Banaras, Mathura, Somnath, Jain temples, Sikh gurdwaras, and persecution of Sufis and Zoroastrians.
- Critics argue the portrayal deepens communal divides and petitions have been circulated demanding a review for academic objectivity and integrity.
- These revisions suggest a trend of rewriting history to serve majoritarian politics and risk deepening communal divides among young students by embedding prejudice into the curriculum.
18 Articles
18 Articles
New NCERT Class 8 Book Highlights Mughal 'Brutality': Report
'[S]ome of the invaders and rulers mentioned above committed terrible deeds and atrocities,' but 'it is important to keep in mind that we, today, bear no responsibility for actions of individuals hundreds of years ago.'
NCERT has issued a clarification following the ongoing discussion on its new Class 8 textbook "Exploring Society, India and Beyond". According to NCERT, this textbook is designed for the final year of the middle stage of schooling, which aims to equip students with a multidisciplinary approach.
Facts from known sources, aim is holistic learning: NCERT on Mughal chapter row
NCERT has released an official statement on its new Class 8 textbook 'Exploring Society, India and Beyond'. Responding to criticism around chapters on Mughal era, it said that all of its content is fact-based and aimed at holistic learning.
NCERT asked to add Bhagavad Gita to school syllabus; Class 8 book revision shows ‘intolerance’ under Mughals
The new textbook has chapters on the Ganga River and AI, India's Gaganyaan program, and a controversial portrayal of the Sultanate and Mughal periods. The Uttarakhand government orders the teaching of the Bhagavad Gita and Ramayana in schools, emphasising a balanced historical perspective.
NCERT social science textbook: Class 8 new book flags ‘brutality’ of Mughals, with no-blame disclaimer
The NCERT says the rationale for including them has been explained in a “Note on Some Darker Periods in History” and one of the chapters in the book includes a cautionary note that “no one should be held responsible today for events of the past”.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 43% of the sources lean Left, 43% of the sources lean Right
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