School pairing will benefit students: Govt
Pairing, officials said, will help improve the teacher-student ratio and upgrade infrastructure under all 19 Operation Kayakalp parameters — toilets, drinking water, furniture, digital education, Bal Vatika — and promote holistic development. They added that the model, however, remains flexible, with provisions to reopen original schools if enrolment grows. The govt initiated the pairing of schools to optimise teachers, resources, and infrastructure.
For instance, UP has over 6,000 single-teacher schools, affecting the quality of teaching and student learning.
Based on three key criteria — low enrolment, proximity, and lack of teachers or ramshackle buildings — the pairing will not take away jobs of teachers or cook-cum-helpers deployed in the state-run schools, said a govt spokesperson.
The govt further said the initiative is in sync with the NEP, which recommends better-equipped institutions to enhance learning outcomes.
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News18
an hour ago
- News18
NCERT Forms Panel After Row Over Maratha Map In New Class 8 Social Science Textbook
NCERT has formed a committee to review feedback on a Class 8 textbook map showing parts of Rajasthan, including Jaisalmer, as under the Maratha empire. Amid a controversy over a map in the new Class 8 social science textbook showing parts of Rajasthan, including Jaisalmer, as being under the Maratha empire, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has formed a committee to examine feedback regarding the content. In a statement issued on Thursday, NCERT said, 'At present, NCERT has received feedback about the educational content in a few textbooks. Hence, a committee is being constituted, comprising senior experts, as per established practice. This committee will examine the feedback in light of the available evidences and submit its report at the earliest possible." Although the NCERT did not directly refer to the current row, its response comes after Chaitanya Raj Singh, a descendant of the erstwhile princely state of Jaisalmer, objected to the map. In a post on X earlier this week, Singh said that the depiction of Jaisalmer as part of the Maratha empire was 'historically misleading, factually baseless, and deeply objectionable." 'There are no authentic historical sources that mention any Maratha dominance, invasion, taxation, or authority over Jaisalmer," Singh wrote. 'If they are [incorrect], a revised map will be prepared based on the best information available, and submitted for future editions of the textbook," he said. 'We are fully open to error correction." Danino explained that the chapter was prepared in consultation with two subject experts on the Maratha period, and that nowhere in the chapter, including the map, is Jaisalmer specifically mentioned. He also clarified that the map was based on earlier published maps that had not attracted objections before and were already in the public domain. According to Danino, the maps represent not only areas directly ruled by the Marathas, but also regions that paid tributes or were under some form of agreement with them. 'While such maps freeze territories at one point in time, the actual context was of course much more complex, fluid, and fast evolving. A single map cannot encapsulate the whole story of the Maratha empire," he noted. He also acknowledged that due to the tight timelines for developing the new textbooks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023, the contributors often had to rely on secondary sources. While the Class 7 textbook contains a disclaimer that map boundaries are approximate, this was not included in the Class 8 book. Danino admitted that the team should have used the same caveat for all historical maps in the new edition. 'A committee is constituted. This committee comprises high-level domain experts from reputed institutions and faculty members from the relevant subject area, with the convenorship of the Head of the Curriculum Department. The committee carefully deliberates on the matter, makes evidence-based decisions regarding the content or pedagogy, and recommends appropriate actions accordingly at the earliest," the note said. So far, NCERT has released new textbooks for Classes 1 to 8 under the NEP 2020 framework, with the latest Class 8 books released last month. view comments Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: August 07, 2025, 16:21 IST News education-career NCERT Forms Panel After Row Over Maratha Map In New Class 8 Social Science Textbook Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
NCERT forms expert panel to review Class 8 map after feedback on Maratha Empire depiction
NCERT forms expert panel to review Class 8 map In response to recent feedback and concerns raised over textbook content—most notably the depiction of parts of Rajasthan under the Maratha Empire in a Class 8 social science textbook—the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has announced the formation of a high-level expert committee. The move, NCERT said in a formal press release, is in line with its well-established practice of undertaking review whenever substantial academic or public input is received. 'These curricular resources, including textbooks, receive regular feedback and suggestions from various stakeholders,' the council said, noting that such feedback is essential for improving content quality. The press release emphasised that the committee will consist of domain experts from reputed institutions and relevant NCERT faculty, and will be convened by the Head of the Curriculum Department. The panel is expected to examine the content in question in light of 'available evidence' and recommend corrective action at the earliest possible time. Background: Class 8 map sparks historical dispute The committee formation comes amid growing debate over a map featured in the new Class 8 social science textbook, which shows parts of western Rajasthan, including Jaisalmer, as being under the Maratha Empire. The most prominent objection came from Chaitanya Raj Singh of Jaisalmer, who argued that 'no authentic historical sources' suggest Maratha control over Jaisalmer and called the portrayal 'factually baseless and historically misleading. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Extragrande 4BHK at 7 Mahalaxmi starts 10.81 Cr* 7 Mahalaxmi, Runwal Group Enquire Now Undo ' In an earlier clarification, Michel Danino, Chairperson of NCERT's curricular group for social science, acknowledged that the map was based on previously published maps in the public domain and developed with expert consultation. He explained that such maps depict not only areas under direct rule, but also those that had tributary or political arrangements with the Marathas, reflecting the complex and fluid nature of historical boundaries. He also conceded that while the Class 7 textbook includes a disclaimer about the approximate nature of historical borders, this caveat was mistakenly omitted from the Class 8 textbook—something he said should have been included to avoid misinterpretation. NEP-aligned curriculum and open review mechanism NCERT's current curriculum overhaul is a part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which led to the development of the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education. Aligned with these frameworks, NCERT has produced new teaching-learning materials, including textbooks. Officials stress that the review process ensures academic integrity and transparency. 'Evidence-based decisions are at the core of our process,' the council said, reaffirming its commitment to high-quality, research-driven educational content. NCERT reiterated that the new committee is not limited to a single issue, but is being formed to examine feedback on educational content across a few textbooks. The expert panel will evaluate each case thoroughly and submit a consolidated report for necessary action. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘Open to error correction': NCERT forms panel amid row over Class 8 map of Maratha Empire
Amid a controversy over a map in the new class 8 social science textbook that shows parts of Rajasthan as having been under the Marathas, the NCERT has constituted a committee to 'examine feedback.' In a statement issued on Thursday, NCERT said: 'At present, NCERT has received feedback about the educational content in a few textbooks. Hence a committee is being constituted having senior experts, as per its established practice. This committee will examine the feedback in light of the available evidences and submit its report at the earliest possible.' Although the statement makes no direct reference to the recent controversy, it comes after Chaitanya Raj Singh of the erstwhile princely state of Jaisalmer said in a post on X on Monday that the map on the extent of the Maratha empire in the class 8 social science textbook 'depicts Jaisalmer as a part of the then Maratha Empire, which is historically misleading, factually baseless, and deeply objectionable.' He wrote that there are 'no authentic historical sources' that mention 'any Maratha dominance, invasion, taxation, or authority' over Jaisalmer. The NCERT said in its statement on Thursday: 'It is a well-established practice at NCERT that whenever substantial feedback or suggestions are received regarding the content or pedagogy of a textbook in a particular subject, a committee is constituted. This committee comprises high-level domain experts from reputed institutions and faculty members from the relevant subject area, with the convenorship of the Head of the Curriculum Department. The committee carefully deliberates on the matter, makes evidence-based decisions regarding the content or pedagogy, and recommends appropriate actions accordingly at the earliest.' New textbooks in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023, are being developed by the NCERT. New books for classes 1 to 8 have been released so far. The latest ones for class 8 were released last month. Responding to the map on the Maratha empire and objection to it, Michel Danino, chairperson of the NCERT's curricular area group for the new social science textbooks, said in a note on Wednesday that 'further research is on to confirm that our map's boundaries are incorrect'. 'If they are, a revised map will be prepared based on the best information available, and submitted for future editions of the textbook,' he wrote, adding: 'We are fully open to error correction.' He wrote that the chapter was prepared in consultation with two experts on the Maratha period, and nowhere in the chapter (including the map) is Jaisalmer mentioned. Danino added that the map was drawn on the basis of maps published earlier, and 'to the best of our knowledge, no objection was raised against such maps, which have long been in the public domain.' He added that the maps include not only areas directly under Maratha control, but also states paying tributes/taxes, or at times under some agreement with the Marathas. 'While such maps freeze territories at one point in time, the actual context was of course much more complex, fluid, and fast evolving. A single map cannot encapsulate the whole story of the Maratha empire,' he wrote. Pointing to the 'tight timeline' given for the preparation of new textbooks, he wrote it hardly allows for original research in every relevant primary source, and contributors sometimes need to depend on secondary sources that are considered authentic and scholarly. While the new class 7 textbook contains a caveat that the borders on a map are approximate, this was not included in the class 8 book, and Danino wrote in his note that the team should have used the same caveat for all historical maps in this book as well.
