The Class 12 political science textbook published by the National Council for Educational Research and Training has dropped the words “anti-Muslim” from a passage on the 2002 Gujarat riots, The Indian Express reported on Saturday. It has also dropped “against Muslims” from a sentence that describes the violence that broke out in the state.
The 2007 edition of the last chapter of the “Politics in India since Independence” textbook – titled “Recent Developments in Indian Politics” – had a passage with the subhead “Anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat”. The first sentence read, “In February-March 2002, large-scale violence against Muslims took place in Gujarat.” The latest revision of the textbook has dropped both references to Muslims, though it remains critical of the way the government handled the riots, according to The Indian Express.
“When we started work on updating the books, we were informed about it, and we have reverted to ‘Gujarat riots,’” the Hindustan Times quoted a senior NCERT official as saying. The decision was made at a meeting of the course review committee, which includes representatives of the Central Board of Secondary Education and the NCERT, the newspaper reported.
This is the first time since 2007 that NCERT textbooks are being reviewed. Former CBSE Chairman RK Chaturvedi suggested the changes in June 2017, The Indian Express reported.
“This review is an ongoing process and before every reprint, we do incorporate new, acceptable feedback and also update the information with the latest developments,” another senior NCERT official told the Hindustan Times. “We have made other changes, too, such as including information on demonetisation, digital literacy, the Goods and Services Tax, and updated figures, too.”
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