The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has welcomed the National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT )’s recent revision of the Class 8 Social Science textbook.
The changes highlight ‘religious intolerance’ and ‘brutality’ during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal periods, offering students a more unfiltered view of history.
BJP leader Praveen Khandelwal praised the revisions, stating, “We all know how the Mughal kings kept the country enslaved and the kinds of torture they inflicted. These dark truths of the Mughal era have been hidden for too long. The next generation deserves to know the reality, which is why I welcome these changes in the NCERT syllabus.”
Another BJP leader, Arvind Sharma, added that any changes made to NCERT textbooks undergo a thorough committee review process, ensuring the accuracy and appropriateness of the content before approval.
In contrast, Congress leader Tanuj Punia expressed reservations about altering educational content. Speaking to IANS, he emphasised the importance of presenting historical facts thoroughly and objectively to enable students to form their own opinions.
Punia cautioned against making changes driven by political motives, warning that such actions could undermine the educational process.
Notable Changes in the Revised Textbook
The revised textbook, titled Exploring Society: India and Beyond, is now in use for the current academic year. It marks the first time that students encounter the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal periods in Class 8, rather than Class 7 as before.
The textbook describes Babur as a ‘ruthless conqueror’ responsible for mass killings.
The textbook portrays Akbar’s reign as a ‘combination of brutality and tolerance,’ reflecting a nuanced but critical perspective.
The text also draws attention to Aurangzeb’s destruction of temples and gurdwaras, highlighting the darker aspects of his rule.
To address concerns about the present-day implications of these historical portrayals, NCERT has included a disclaimer titled ‘Note on Some Darker Periods in History’.
The note clarifies that no one today should be held accountable for past events, aiming to separate historical analysis from current political or communal sentiments.
These textbook revisions are part of a broader effort to provide students with a clearer and more critical understanding of India’s past.
The BJP sees this as an important step towards historical clarity, while the Congress urges a more cautious, balanced approach that avoids politicisation.
The revisions have sparked debate on how schools should teach history and how education shapes young minds with an accurate, yet sensitive, view of India’s complex heritage.
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