Change in NCERT Syllabus- What and Why 2023

 

Change in NCERT Syllabus

 

In two years, there will be significant modifications to the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) curriculum. Once a National Curriculum Framework (NCF) has been established and the New Education Policy (NEP) has been finalised, these changes are anticipated to take place. The current administration is now reviewing the draught of an education strategy that was provided by a committee led by the former ISRO director K. Kasturirangan. Public response was also requested for the policy draught, and the plan will be finalised in light of the different discussions, comments, and suggestions made in the draught.

 

The NCERT textbooks' most recent revision took place in 2017, and it hasn't been made subsequently. The Ministry of Human Resource Development's (MHRD) sources claim that the changes to school textbooks will be done in next 2 years.

 

The 2017 revisions were put into effect after taking into account the recommendations and comments of educators, including parents, teachers, and other group members. In 2017, the council finally changed the curriculum after 15 years. The NCERT syllabus had the following revisions in 2017:

 

●     Demonetization and the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan were introduced as new topics.

●     In the history book, a chapter about Maharana Pratap was added.

●     It included more details about the Indian Knowledge System.

●     The NCERT textbooks for classes 6 through 10 also covered subjects like philosophy, yoga, and Ayurveda as well as information about ancient India.

 

The syllabus for the NCERT textbook was altered in 1975, 1988, 2000, and 2005. Only a few topics were included in 2017, keeping the rest unchanged. As a result, the upcoming syllabus change, which will be the fifth, is referred to as such. Each subject's core concepts should only differ little from the textbook. To make learning a satisfying and enjoyable experience, the curriculum will be updated in accordance with student interest.

 

Moreover, The NCERT textbooks will be available in at least 22 languages, as mentioned in the eighth schedule of the Constitution, including Hindi, English, Bengali, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Sanskrit, Punjabi, Sindhi, Manipuri, Urdu, Malayalam, Odiya, and Kashmiri, among others.

 

Advantages of CBSE deleting the syllabus:

 

Less work to do and less stress

 

Less content will need to be covered, which will reduce stress and help students learn and remember more. Instead of attempting to cover an excessive quantity of content, students can concentrate more on comprehending and mastering the main topics with a reduced curriculum. This promotes a healthier and more effective learning environment, which benefits kids' academic performance.

 

More time to learn deeply

 

A smaller syllabus will enable teachers to teach in greater detail and give students more time to investigate and comprehend each idea. Better retention and comprehension will result from this.

 

Increased Motivation and Confidence

 

A limited syllabus also has a positive impact on students’ motivation. When students feel crushed by the large volume of study material, it can be demotivating and lead to a sense of helplessness. With less material to study, students will find it easier and more efficient to grasp the information, building their confidence.

 

Enhanced Learning Outcome

 

A reduced syllabus can lead to improved learning outcomes as it allows for a more focused and targeted approach to learning. A focused and targeted curriculum can lead to deeper understanding and greater academic success for students.

 

Disadvantages of CBSE deleting the syllabus:

 

Gap in Knowledge

 

While the deductions in the syllabus may provide some relief from the stress, it will also introduce gaps in knowledge. Eliminating certain topics may leave out crucial concepts and perspectives that are essential for a holistic understanding.

 

Competitive Exams Preparation

 

Reducing the syllabus may result in limited preparation for competitive exams, as the removed topics aren’t removed from the syllabus of competitive exams. Students may miss out on essential topics that are tested in these exams.

 

Reduced Academic Standards

 

When topics are omitted or shortened, students miss out on valuable knowledge, which negatively affects the quality of their learning. Reduced syllabi can make it difficult to maintain the rigour and depth necessary for students to develop critical thinking and analytical skills.

 

Increased Weightage

 

The syllabus is reduced, but not the total number of marks to be scored in exams. Therefore, in the same 100 marks, the weightage of topics will be increased now. For instance, if a chapter had a weightage of 3 marks earlier, it might now change to 10 marks because the syllabus and topics are less, and questions would have to increase from the retaining topics.

 

The Indian education system is seeing a major change in its framework and curriculum, and every new step has both a positive and negative impact, but if managed carefully and a balance is created, this new step can be proven revolutionary for our education system.

 

Here are some excerpts from the document which was prepared by over 250 academicians and professors against the syllabus reduction.

 

The signatories said that the latest deletions from the NCERT textbooks,

 

 “expose the non-academic, partisan agenda of the regime in pushing through amendments to school textbooks.

We are appalled by the decision of the NCERT to remove chapters and statements from the history textbooks and demand that the deletions be withdrawn. "

 

"The decision of the NCERT is guided by divisive motives. It is a decision which goes against the constitutional ethos and composite culture of the Indian subcontinent. As such, it must be rescinded at the earliest. "

 

"There has been no attempt to consult members of the teams that had prepared the textbooks, which included historians and school teachers, apart from members of the NCERT. "

 

Further, the signatories, in their statement, said that the revision should have only been done,

 

“in sync with the consensus of the existing historical scholarship. However, the selective deletion in this round of textbook revision reflects the sway of divisive politics over pedagogical concerns.”

 

The signatories accused the NCERT of using the pandemic as an excuse to initiate “a contentious process” of dropping important topics like ‘The 2002 Gujarat Riots’ and ‘Mughal Courts’.

 

“The new editions of these NCERT books have simply made the deletions the norm even when we are in a post-pandemic context in which school education has limped back to normalcy and is no longer in the online mode,” the statement said.

 

 

 

Nine-Day Karnataka Campaign by Prof. V.K. Tripathi

Nine-Day Karnataka Campaign

V.K. Tripathi

            In early March, a meeting of Sadbhav Mission was held in Delhi. It was decided that Sadbhav Mission should do its bit to counter sectarian tilt of polity in forthcoming assembly election in Karnataka. I wrote a flier, “Clear the Eyes and Bring Pro-People Government” and sent it to SM friends for comments. Dr. Yogendra Yadav contacted Mr. Akki and he graciously translated it in Kannada. Yogendra ji also advised his colleagues of Bharat Jodo Abhiyan to help arrange my meetings. I talked to Shri Maqbool Siraj, Shri EP Menon, Shri KP Singh, Shri Vinay Kumar and Shri Rajiv Gowda, ex-MP. Shri Gowda was immensely generous to arrange my Bangalore stay in a hotel at his own expenses. JNU friend Vasantha put me in contact with Prof. Phaniraj, Udupi who introduced me to Prof. Rajaram Tolpadi, Director, Nehru Study Center, Mangalore Univ. Prof. Tolpadi provided me every possible help and support in Mangalore with great affection, including stay in University Guest House and talks in various colleges in the city and in Udupi.

            I left Delhi with 4000 fliers and 60 copies of the book “Satyagraha Against Prejudice and Exploitation” on March 25, 2023 at 9:40 PM by Duranto Express and reached Mangalore on March 27, at 6:40 AM. On my journey I observed fast for 36 hours (took 2 oranges, 100 gm grapes, gur and water), pained by the unjust order of the Surat Court sentencing Rahul Gandhi on a minor statement in an election speech in Kolar (Karnataka) in 2019, and also by the denial of the Lok Sabha to let him defend his UK speech on which false allegations were made against him. In the train I met Sultana, an aged lady from Godhra. She was returning to Ernakulam to join her work in a family. She was illiterate but truly secular and truth speaking. Her compassion and simplicity touched me.

            Prof. Tolpadi and Dr. Naina sent a car to pick me up. It took me to Univ. Guest House. At 10:30 AM, Prof. Tolpadi took me to the university and introduced me to his colleagues. At 12:15 I took the city bus and reached the city at 1 PM. I began distributing fliers in markets, side lanes and roads. Many responded with warmth and expressed appreciation. A vendor purchased water bottle for me, another offered an orange. Many students talked with interest.

In a shop, when I gave my flier to a person standing by, he asked whom would you like me to vote. I said, Congress in the present situation. He said, “Then our ways are different. I am RSS Pracharak of Udupi.” I told, “Indeed our views are different. But I am touched by your serenity. In 1966 I met Rajju Bhaiya  My views were totally different from his, but his warmth touched me.” He said, “Boat does not matter whether it is Congress or RSS, our direction should be right.” I said, “I agree with you. All ideologies and religions are meant to make us human and humble.” He shook his head in affirmation and I left.

On March 28 I reached the city bus stand at 10 AM and began giving fliers and talking to people. Many bus conductors/ drivers and auto drivers took fliers with interest, many shop keepers expressed appreciation. One lane had Supari market with significant percentage of Muslim traders. I found Hindu and Muslim traders in good relations. As I passed by a mosque, I gave fliers to 5 people sitting near the entrance. After a while an old man from there came to me and asked for 10 more fliers for others. I gave him the fliers. 15 minutes later I went to the mosque to express my gratitude to this man. I met few other people. They showered their love.

At 2PM I reached Alloysious College. In a little while Prof. Tolpadi, Dr. Naina and two professors =from Mangalore U. arrived for my talk. We had a heartening meeting with college Principal, Registrar and faculty. 3 to 4 PM I gave a talk on Science and Freedom to 120 students. The response was overwhelming. At 6:30 PM I reached the Guest House.

At 8 PM I received a phone call from someone, asking me, “What proof do you have of 40% commission mentioned in your flier.” I said, “Read the whole sentence. It is not me but the Contractor association is crying to save them of 40% commission govt. See newspaper reports.” He kept insisting on proof and told that you will have to come to police station. Then he hanged the phone. I realized intimidation was present here too.

March 29, 10-12:30 I visited the Center for Advanced Research in Environmental Radioactivity, Mangalore U. It is a magnificent lab headed by Prof. Karunakar Naregundi. I gave a talk on Thermonuclear Fusion. 1:30-5 PM I distributed fliers in the city, met many nice people.

March 30, I left the Guest House at 7 AM and took the bus to the city. Prof. Tolpadi joined me at the inter-city bus stand.. We took the bus to Udupi and reached there at 10 AM. Shri Md. Yaseen organized a meeting with 40 prominent social and political activists from the district. We had an extraordinarily absorbing session on current challenges for 2.5 hours. At 1 PM we visited Dr. G. Shankar Govt. Women College and met with Principal Dr. Bhaskar Shetty and Dr. Suchithra. Suchithra took us to lunch and drove to Milagres College. Principal Dr. Vincent Alva organized my talk on Science and Freedom with 150 students and teachers. In the evening we returned to Mangalore.

March 31, I checked out of the Guest House at 8 AM, took successive buses and reached Suratkal. Prof. Tolpadi also arrived. Dr. Sudha organized my talk on India’s Mass Movement for Freedom at Dovinda Das College at 10:-12. At 2 PM I gave a lecture at Canara College on Newton’s Laws of Motion and Gravitation. Afterwards I distributed fliers. Also, made 500 copies of the Kannada flier. Mrs. Tolpadi took me home and offered an excellent dinner At 8:30 PM, I boarded the train and reached Bangalore at 6:30 AM, April 1.

I distributed fliers in the station area for 2 hours. Then took the bus and reached Orchid Suites in the city, where accommodation was arranged by Shri Rajiv Gowda. 11:15 to 3 PM I distributed fliers. At 3 PM Shri Gowda arrived and we had very heartening discussions. 4-6 PM I walked into the localities giving fliers. At 6 PM arrived Mr. Faizullah Qureshi with his family. They are filled with love and sensitivity. They brought fruits, gulgule, dates, and highly delicious shahi tukda. We had roza aftar together. At 7:30 PM Vinay, an Aeronautical engineer and a committed secular activist promoting constitution values, took me to dinner. Next morning, I joined his monthly meeting in Cubbon Park. It had 20 outstanding and dedicated activists. I spoke for 15 minutes and listened to their indepth discussions. Journalist Udbhavi carried my interview and published it in Deccan Herald next day (April 3). At 12:15 PM I reached Jayanagar and visited Shri, K, Rahman Khan, ex-Speaker Lok Sabha. His simplicity, sensitivity and depth of understanding of national issues was a revelation to me.  At 12:45 PM Shri Koushik Krishnan and his son came to meet me near Jayanagar Metro station. Koushik is caring and deeply committed to secularism. So his son. We discussed practical issues related to current situation for 90 minutes. At 3 PM he dropped me at HSR Layout where I visited Prof. Rahul De, Sharmila and Ashna. We had heartening discussions. At 4:30 Rahul dropped me at Shantinagar. For 3 hrs I distributed the fliers.

April 3, 9 AM, I reached St. Joseph’s University (SJU) and began giving fliers and talking to students at the gate and on the road. In 3 hours I consumed 500 fliers and many students poured their hearts. An Auto driver felt moved and asked, what benefit do I get by giving the fliers. I said, “Your love is my reward”. He showered his love. At 1:50-2:40 Fr. Maxim Dias and Prof. Areesh organized my lecture on Nonviolence at the Dept of Peace and International Relations, SJU with 110 students. I felt deeply moved by the response. At 5:30 PM, Saurav came to meet me at Forum Mall. He is a truly secular Newsweek reporter. We talked for an hour and then walked to the residence of Mr. Asif Aboobkar. He is a gem, truly enlighted and warm. So is his wife Yasmeen. We had a great roza aftar.

April 4, I checked out at 8:30 AM, distributed 200 fliers and reached Alternative Law Forum where Vinay had organized my talk. I spoke about three fronts of resistance to communalism: To remove prejudice from peoples’ minds, To intervene in tense situations, and To curb the polity of polarization and corporate dominance. From this perspective I shared my experiences with various strategies. We need to (1) Build bases in cities we live in, (2) motivate the educated and affluent to build friendship with the masses rather than polarizing and abusing them, (3) organize workshops in Maths, Science and History, (4) Distribute fliers, (5) Organize marches/ fasts. The participants, including Lokesh, Arvind and few women were a deeply committed group. In the evening I took flight to Delhi. 

PM’s 10 Points Agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

 

PM’s 10 Points Agenda

·         2015:  The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (Sendai is a city in Japan’s Tohoku Region)

Goal: Prevent new and reduce existing disaster risk through the implementation of integrated and inclusive economic, structural, legal, social, health, cultural, educational, environmental, technological, political and institutional measures that prevent and reduce hazard exposure and vulnerability to disaster, increase preparedness for response and recovery, and thus strengthen resilience

After the adoption of Sendai Framework, the international community adopted two other major frameworks to shape the future of humanity, namely,

·         2015: The Sustainable Development Goals

·         2015: The Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2015.

Disaster Risk Reduction has a pivotal role in supporting adaptation to climate change as well as sustainable development.

2016: India hosted Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR), and

This was the first after the international policy of Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR); in November 2016 at New Delhi.

Inaugurating the 7th AMCDRR, Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, highlighted a 10- Point Agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction, that encompassed tools and approaches to address critical challenges in achieving sustainable development objectives and renewed efforts towards DRR.

Important goals

·         Goal-01: All development sectors must imbibe the principles of disaster risk management

PM says “Development and Disasters are two sides of a coin. While a planned development can reduce the risks of disasters, the absence of proper planning can aggravate them”

 

·         Goal-03: Women’s leadership and greater involvement should be central to disaster risk management

It is necessary to encourage greater involvement and leadership of women in disaster risk management to support special needs of women affected by disasters.

 

·         Goal-09: Make use of every opportunity to learn from disasters and, to achieve that, there must be studies on the lessons after every disaster

Ensure that the opportunity to learn from a disaster is not wasted. After every disaster there is a need to undertake research studies to understand the best practices and learn lessons to improve the policy and disaster governance.

 

 

 

 

1.    All development sectors must imbibe the principles of disaster risk management▼

 

Explanation
Development and Disasters are two sides of a coin. While a planned development can reduce the risks of disasters, the absence of proper planning can aggravate them. It is, therefore, essential to imbibe disaster risk reduction approach in all development schemes. Development should focus on reducing disaster risks and not create them.

 

2.    Risk coverage must include all, starting from poor households to SMEs to multi-national corporations to nation states▼

Explanation

Disasters result in loss of lives and damages to properties and assets. Those who survive face the challenges of their rehabilitation. This applies to all from poor households to SMEs to multi-nationals.
It is necessary to think big and innovatively to widen the risk insurance cover. Some bold steps have been taken to ensure financial inclusion and risk insurance for the poorest.
Government has some schemes having risk coverage in consideration which include Jan Dhan Yojana, Suraksha Bima Yojana, Fasal Bima Yojana (crop insurance) etc. 
There is a need for:

§  Development of disaster insurance mechanisms for home-owners in disaster prone area

§  Development of parametric insurance for weather and climate related disasters

§  Develop insurance products to cover major infrastructure projects

 

3.    Women’s leadership and greater involvement should be central to disaster risk management▼

 

Explanation

It is necessary to encourage greater involvement and leadership of women in disaster risk management to support special needs of women affected by disasters. Women are generally seen as vulnerable to disasters. But women can play an important role in disaster risk reduction at the household, society, community and beyond. We need large number of women volunteers, engineers, masons and building artisans to participate in post-disaster reconstruction and promote women self-help groups which can assist in livelihood recovery. There is a need to include women in NDRF and SDRF, and to train elected women representatives at the local level under development.

 

4.    Invest in risk mapping globally to improve global understanding of Nature and disaster risks▼

Explanation
Disasters know no boundary. Many natural hazards impact across countries, so there is a need for better understanding of such risks at global level. With a shared understanding of the nature and severity of disaster risks globally, their impacts can be mitigated with better planning and preparedness. This requires undertaking multi-hazard risk assessments and developing maps for all major hazards in a standardized format to facilitate disaster risk reduction

 

5.    Leverage technology to enhance the efficiency of disaster risk management efforts▼

Explanation
Efforts must be made to leverage technology to enhance the efficiency of our disaster risk management efforts. This requires use of technology in resource planning, e.g., India Disaster Resources Network (IDRN), creation of e-platform to map expertise and resources on highly specialized aspects of disaster response and to increase the efficacy of early warning systems for all major hazards through the application of technology.

 

6.    Develop a network of universities to work on disaster-related issues▼

Explanation
It will be helpful to develop a network of universities and academic institutions to work on disaster-related aspects. As part of this network, different universities could specialize in multi-disciplinary research on disaster issues most relevant to them.

 

7.    Utilise the opportunities provided by social media and mobile technologies for disaster risk reduction▼

Explanation
Utilize the opportunities provided by social media and mobile technologies to develop a social media strategy for Disaster Risk Management in the country. Social media is transforming disaster response. It is helping response agencies in quickly organizing themselves and enabling citizens to connect more easily with authorities.

 

8.    Build on local capacity and initiative to enhance disaster risk reduction▼

Explanation
Disaster management must build on local capabilities and initiatives. The task of disaster risk management, particularly in rapidly growing economies, is so huge that formal institutions of the state can at best be instrumental in creating the enabling conditions. Specific actions have to be designed and implemented locally. Such efforts reduce risk and create opportunities for local development and sustainable livelihoods. Localization of disaster risk reduction will also ensure that good use is made of the traditional best practices and indigenous knowledge.

 

9.    Make use of every opportunity to learn from disasters and, to achieve that, there must be studies on the lessons after every disaster▼

Explanation
Ensure that the opportunity to learn from a disaster is not wasted. After every disaster there is a need to undertake research studies to understand the best practices and learn lessons to improve the policy and disaster governance.

 

10.  Bring about greater cohesion in international response to disasters▼

Explanation
Disasters’ impacts are huge and so are the needs to be prepared for and respond strategically. Across the globe, countries face disasters similar in nature and sometimes across the countries. It requires coordinated and unified response by affected countries. Pre-disaster planning and preparedness can result in effective and timely response, hence it is important to bring about greater cohesion in international response to disasters. International forums and protocols should be used in addressing disaster risks for effective and coordinated response.