Yadav Counters Pradhan: Emergency Was Always in NCERT Textbooks

Political activist and Swaraj India founder Yogendra Yadav recently countered Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's remarks concerning the National Council of Educational Research and Training's (NCERT) inclusion of the 1975 Emergency in its textbooks. While Minister Pradhan welcomed NCERT's decision to introduce a section on the Emergency in Class 9 textbooks, stating that future generations must learn about the 'dark deeds' of that period, Yadav argued that the 'ugly truth was never hidden' and that a comprehensive chapter on the Emergency had already been part of NCERT's Class 12 Political Science textbooks since 2007. Dharmendra Pradhan, speaking on the 51st anniversary of the Emergency's declaration, lauded NCERT for bringing the topic to the 'forefront' of the curriculum, emphasizing its importance for students to understand a critical period in Indian democracy to prevent its recurrence. The newly developed Class 9 Social Science textbook, 'Understanding Society: India and Beyond-Part 1,' now includes a section on the Emergency, describing it as 'one of the major challenges' faced by Indian democracy, where fundamental rights were suspended and democratic institutions faced severe strain. NCERT officials confirmed that this is indeed the first time the subject has been incorporated into the revised Class 9 curriculum, which is being rolled out under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) 2023. However, Yogendra Yadav, who was involved in writing the 2007 Class 12 textbook, asserted that a full chapter detailing the Emergency was present in the 'Politics in India Since Independence' textbook for Class 12 students. He highlighted that this inclusion, under the Congress-led UPA government, was a deliberate effort to ensure students were not shielded from uncomfortable political history, covering aspects like the crisis of democratic order, arguments for and against the Emergency, and its impact on politics. This revelation adds a crucial layer of context, indicating that the Emergency was not entirely absent from the NCERT curriculum prior to its recent addition to Class 9. Adding to the complexity, it's important to note that specific portions relating to the Emergency in the Class 12 Political Science textbook were removed or 'pruned' in 2022 and 2023 as part of a 'syllabus rationalisation' exercise. NCERT cited reasons such as 'overlapping,' 'irrelevant' content, or material accessible through self-learning for these deletions, which also included topics like the 2002 Gujarat riots and Mughal courts. This context suggests a dynamic evolution of how the Emergency is represented in school textbooks across different classes and curricula, fueling ongoing debates about historical narratives and their presentation in educational materials. The debate extends beyond the Emergency to other recent changes in NCERT textbooks. For instance, the new Class 9 Political Science textbook now describes the judiciary as an 'impartial and independent institution' that safeguards citizens' rights and upholds the Constitution. This revision follows a controversy earlier in the year when a Class 8 Social Science textbook, which included a section on alleged judicial corruption, was withdrawn by NCERT after objections and a suo motu cognizance by the Supreme Court. These simultaneous revisions underscore a broader effort by NCERT to align textbooks with the National Curriculum Framework, often leading to public and political discourse over the content taught to students. The discussions highlight the continuous scrutiny and sensitive nature of history and civics education in India, particularly regarding contentious political events and institutions.

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