Revised Class 7 NCERT Books Contain Maha Kumbh, 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao'; Mughals Dropped

News18

27-04-2025

The new textbooks, designed in line with the NEP 2020, contains references to government initiatives like Make in India, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and the Atal Tunnel
NCERT has removed all references to Mughals and the Delhi Sultanate from the class 7 textbooks. Instead new chapters on Indian dynasties, 'sacred geography,' Maha Kumbh, and government initiatives like Make in India and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao have been added, as reported by PTI.
Earlier, NCERT had reduced sections on the Mughals and Delhi Sultanate, including chapters on Tughlaqs, Khaljis, Mamluks, and Lodi dynasties, as well as a table on Mughal emperors' achievements during syllabus rationalisation in 2022–23. The new textbook has now completely excluded these references.
The new Social Science textbook 'Exploring Society: India and Beyond" includes new chapters on ancient Indian dynasties like Magadha, Mauryas, Shungas, and Sātavāhanas, highlighting 'Indian ethos." It also features a chapter titled 'How the Land Becomes Sacred," which explores sacred places and pilgrimages across India and religions such as Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. This chapter introduces the concept of 'sacred geography," detailing networks of places like the 12 jyotirlingas, the char dham yatra, and the 'Shakti pithas." It also references revered sites such as river confluences, mountains, and forests, PTI reported.
The revised books also include quote from Jawaharlal Nehru describing India as a land of pilgrimages, highlighting journeys from Badrinath and Amarnath to Kanyakumari. Furthermore, the textbook asserts that the varna-jati system initially provided societal stability but later became rigid, especially under British rule, leading to inequalities.
The Maha Kumbh mela held in Prayagraj earlier this year has also been mentioned in the textbooks, noting the participation of around 660 million people, though it omits the stampede in which 30 pilgrims died and several were injured. References to government initiatives like Make in India, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, and the Atal Tunnel have also been incorporated into the new textbook.
A chapter on the Constitution of India has been added wherein it mentions there was a time when citizens were not allowed to fly the national flag at their homes, which changed in 2004 after a Supreme Court ruling affirmed it as part of the Fundamental Right to Freedom of Expression.
The English textbook 'Poorvi" features 9 out of 15 stories, poems, and narrative pieces by Indian writers or with Indian content, including works by Rabindranath Tagore, APJ Abdul Kalam, and Ruskin Bond. The earlier textbook 'Honeycomb" had 17 writings, with four by Indian writers.
NCERT officials stated that these textbooks are only the first part, with the second part expected in the coming months. However, hey did not confirm if the removed portions will be included in the subsequent release, the report added. The newly released textbooks align with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023, emphasising Indian traditions, philosophies, knowledge systems, and local context in school education.