How can NCERT omit relevant topics from textbooks, ask academics

Experts and teachers believe that the excluded topics remain highly relevant today and omitting them restricts learning. Representation pic

After omitting Darwin's theory of evolution, the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) has courted yet another controversy by deleting the chapter on the periodic table from Std X science textbooks as part of its "rationalisation" exercise. Consequently, students will no longer be taught about vital scientific concepts such as evolution, the periodic table of elements, sources of energy, and environmental sustainability.

In addition to the periodic table, the council has also removed chapters on Democracy and Diversity, Popular Struggles and Movements, Political Parties, and Challenges to Democracy from the Political Science textbooks. These omissions have raised concerns within academic circles, as many experts and teachers believe that the excluded topics remain highly relevant today.

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A senior science teacher from a school in south Mumbai emphasised the significance of the periodic table, stating, "Possibly the most significant idea in chemistry is the periodic table, both theoretically and practically. Understanding how the world is constructed from the basic building blocks of chemistry, the chemical elements, requires familiarity with the periodic table."

The teacher further added, "Chapters on water, air pollution, resource management, and various energy sources are missing, despite their continued relevance in today's world." A school principal expressed concern over the removal of a full chapter on the periodic table from NCERT's Std X Science textbook, questioning the impact on students. While the chapter on the periodic table remains part of the Std XI syllabus, the absence of its introduction in Std X may disrupt the learning continuity for students.

Regarding the omission of chapters on Democracy and Diversity, Popular Struggles and Movements, Political Parties, and Challenges to Democracy, Professor Avkash Jadhav, Head and Associate Professor at the Department of History, St. Xavier's College, highlighted the need for validation, balance, and historical context in the curriculum. He stated, "While adding new topics is a welcome move, it is crucial to maintain validation, balance, and historical context. The struggles and challenges of democracy in the 20th century and the present time differ significantly, but these topics can provide relevance and address the journey's genesis. A comparative perspective is always valuable, and complete omission might create a void and sever the link entirely."