Kolhapur: The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has decided to drop a map of the Maratha Empire from the Std VIII social science textbook, citing a high-powered committee's conclusion that it was problematic due to sweeping generalizations. The decision, which affects the upcoming 2026-27 reprint, came after objections from Rajput royal families in Rajasthan who challenged the accuracy of the map depicting Maratha influence over Rajputana states in 1759.
Committee Deliberations and Decision
In response to a complaint filed by Sangli lawyer Vishram Kadam on the PMO Grievance Portal on March 23, NCERT's head of social sciences department, Gouri Srivastava, detailed the process. The committee held two meetings in August and October 2025. In the first meeting, members expressed that the map was problematic due to sweeping generalizations. In the second meeting, they decided to temporarily withhold the map because the Hindi and Urdu versions of the textbook were already in press. Subsequently, on December 29, 2025, the committee chairperson, in consultation with two expert members, issued a note directing the map's withdrawal.
Reactions and Opposition
The removal has sparked strong opposition from various quarters in Maharashtra. Kadam stated, "The NCERT reply shows that the objections to the map were not scrutinized thoroughly and the decision was taken in the absence of any eminent voice on Maratha history. I will file a PIL in the high court seeking directions to restore the map." Well-known Maratha historian Gajanan Bhaskar Mehendale, who was part of the high-powered committee, attended the first meeting before his death on September 17, 2025.
Rajput royal families objected, claiming they were never part of the Maratha Empire. However, Maratha historians cite historical documents such as the Ahadnama—a pact between Mughal emperor Ahmad Shah Bahadur and Malharrao Holkar and Mahadji Shinde for Nanasaheb Peshwa in April 1752—as evidence of Maratha authority over Rajput states. They note that the pact shows Rajputana was under Maratha influence as chauth (taxes) was paid to the Marathas. Descendants of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj have also raised concern, claiming the map's removal is an attempt to erase the proud history of the Marathas.
