NCERT Textbook Controversy: Election Commission Section Draws Fire
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is once again embroiled in controversy over its school textbooks. The latest flashpoint is a section in the Class-9 social science textbook that praises the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) program. The section describes SIR as a mechanism to ensure only eligible citizens can vote and lauds the Election Commission’s efforts to conduct impartial elections despite enormous logistical challenges.
Opposition parties have strongly objected, claiming that this description overlooks serious allegations of institutional partisanship and voter disenfranchisement, particularly in West Bengal. They argue that introducing impressionable minds to a contested exercise without acknowledging the public debate surrounding it creates a one-sided narrative.
Blurring Lines Between Education and Ideology
Critics say school books are meant to educate, not polarise. The NCERT’s pick-and-choose approach blurs the line between education and ideological messaging. The textbook also includes an expanded chapter on the Emergency, which has been described as a grave assault on democracy. This move has been welcomed by the BJP but criticised by the Congress as politically motivated.
Additionally, the inclusion of a verse from the Manusmriti to illustrate respect for women in ancient India has revived debate over this historical treatise, which contains contentious provisions on caste and gender. Students in their early teens need to learn about the Emergency, India’s electoral system, and ancient social traditions, but they must also be familiarised with context, nuances, and multiple perspectives.
Supreme Court Rebuke and Eroding Credibility
It seems the NCERT has learnt no lessons from the dressing-down it received from the Supreme Court over a passage on “corruption in the judiciary” in a Class-8 textbook. The council’s repeated entanglement in controversies has dented its credibility. Curriculum development should be guided by scholarly consensus, transparent consultation, and rigorous peer review rather than political priorities. In a vibrant democracy, education should cultivate questioning minds — not prescribe predetermined conclusions.
