NCERT syllabus row: Council refutes to claim of dropping 'Evolution and Periodic Table' from textbooks

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) on June 3 rubbishes claims of chapters of being dropped from the school textbooks.

In a series of tweets, the Education Council wrote, "A section of media reported about dropping of Evolution & Periodic Table from @ncert books. These claims are misleading & factually incorrect. Rationalisation of Textbooks was a need-based exercise to reduce the content load in view of the mental health of students during the pandemic."

A section of media reported about dropping of Evolution & Periodic Table from @ncert books. These claims are misleading & factually incorrect.

Rationalisation of Textbooks was a need-based exercise to reduce content load in view of mental health of students during the pandemic.

— NCERT (@ncert) June 3, 2023

"Periodic Table has NOT been removed from school education curriculum but is, in fact, available in great detail in Unit 3 -"Classification of Elements and periodicity in properties" (Page 74-99) of Class 11th textbook," the tweet added.

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Periodic Table has NOT been removed from school education curriculum but is, in fact, available in great detail in Unit 3 -"Classification of Elements and periodicity in properties" (Page 74-99) of Class 11th textbook.

— NCERT (@ncert) June 3, 2023

Further on the chapter on Evolution, the NCERT wrote, "There is a full chapter on Evolution [Chapter 6 – "Evolution", Pages 110-126 of Class 12th NCERT Textbook] which explains the concept of Evolution and Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution in great detail."

There is a full chapter on Evolution [Chapter 6 – "Evolution", Pages 110-126 of Class 12th NCERT Textbook] which explains the concept of Evolution and Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution in great detail.

— NCERT (@ncert) June 3, 2023

Earlier on June 2, reports emerged stating chapters on the periodic table, challenges to democracy, and sustainable management of natural resources are among those dropped from Class 10 textbooks by the National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT).

The Kerala government has challenged the NCERT for removing chapters on the Periodic Table and threats to democracy, among other themes, from Class 10 textbooks, claiming that it undermines democratic and secular ideals.

"The unilateral action of the NCERT to remove the topics under the guise of rationalisation is a challenge to the democratic and secular values of our country. Kerala has already declared that it cannot be accepted, as it challenges the entire existing democratic order in the country," State Education Minister V Sivankutty said in a statement issued on Friday night, June 2.