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Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
NCERT panel head defends ‘broad survey' approach in new social science textbooks
The new NCERT social science textbooks for classes 6 to 8 provide a 'broad survey' of Indian civilisation from prehistoric times to Independence, and an 'in-depth, detailed treatment of any period of India's history is not only impossible, but undesirable,' according to Michel Danino, chairperson of the NCERT's curricular area group for the new social science textbooks. 'Were it to be attempted, we would be falling back into the old pitfall of burdening students with loads of data that they simply cannot digest or relate to, and end up resenting,' Danino, a guest professor at IIT Gandhinagar, wrote in a note that responds to the recent criticism of the new social science books. Last week, NCERT released part 1 of the social science textbook for class 8. Pointing out that his note represents his personal opinion, Danino wrote that the rationale for these books providing only a broad survey is that 'a number of school students drop out at the end of class 8, and should be exposed to such an overview before leaving school.' However, he added that a 'survey' need not be superficial and 'it has been our attempt to touch upon key figures, events, concepts, developments etc., which we would like students to remember all their lives.' Referring to a new approach to the syllabus and textbooks in the context of the National Education Policy (NEP 2020), and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023, Danino wrote that this new foundation for school education has formulated new pedagogical approaches, new classroom transactions and a reduced syllabus. The new approach focuses on essential principles, concepts, events, and developments, 'moving away from data-heavy, supposedly 'comprehensive' textbooks that only promoted rote-learning,' he wrote. On recent references to 'omissions' from these textbooks, including that of the Paika rebellion of Odisha's Khurda region against British rule in the 19th century, Danino wrote that no chapters have been 'added' or 'omitted' since 'the whole basis is different.' The new social science textbooks cover history, geography, political science, and economics in one book, unlike in earlier years when there were different books for these themes. '…each new textbook has combined in a single volume what was earlier dealt with in four. This alone testifies to our concern for content reduction, as mandated by the NEP 2020,' Danino wrote. Listing 23 rebellions against British colonial rule, relevant to the period that the class 8 textbook's chapter covers, Danino pointed out that only six of these rebellions figure in part 1 of the textbook. 'Keeping the student in mind, we selected them as sufficiently representative, in our view, of the growing discontent among Indian populations against colonial rule. We must now ask our critics the following questions: who is to decide which of these uprisings and rebellions are major and which are minor? Should people of the states or clans mentioned in the 17 rebellions (and many more) not covered in this chapter start protesting that they are hurt by the 'omission' of those particular rebellions?' Danino wrote.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Pirana dumpsite to give way to ‘waste to wonder' park
Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's road and building committee on Friday approved the appointment of a consultant to develop the 'Pirana Gyaspur Master Plan for Resource Recovery through Waste Management', launching an ambitious initiative to convert the 700-hectare Pirana dumpsite into a recreational hub. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The project will employ scientific methods including biomining and bioremediation to safely close the landfill site. The waste will be securely capped and overlaid with extensive green infrastructure featuring urban forests, nature trails and public parks. The 'waste to wonder' park will include a jungle safari, biodiversity park, dedicated cycling tracks and a heritage plaza documenting the site's transformation. The development will also establish a circular economy and waste innovation campus complete with R&D laboratories, startup incubation facilities, a waste museum and a school. The proposal from the AMC states, "The dumpsite at Pirana, which covers 700 hectares, is planned to be transformed into a 'waste to wonder' park. Waste will be securely capped, and a green and vibrant landscape including urban forests, nature trails and public parks will be developed. This project is expected to provide employment to 3,000 people . Over 30 lakh tonnes of legacy waste will be processed, and more than 50 acres of green public spaces will be developed. " In a separate decision, the committee sanctioned IIT Gandhinagar's appointment to conduct a comprehensive structural stability assessment of the Sardar Patel Stadium in Navrangpura. The evaluation, budgeted at Rs 28.75 lakh, addresses critical safety concerns at the venue. The stadium, recognised in the World Monuments Watch List-2020 as a significant 20th-century urban heritage monument, has shown signs of structural deterioration.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Michel Danino: Mughal period saw violence, Britain not recognised suffering inflicted on colonies
In an interview with The Hindu, Michel Danino, Professor at IIT Gandhinagar (Archaeological Sciences) and Head of Curricular Area Group for Social Science textbooks, which works in collaboration with National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) sheds light on the process of designing new textbooks for Class 6, 7 and 8, comments on controversy around Mughals being portrayed as 'brutal,' and addresses the issue of India's 'wealth drain,' during the colonial era. Mr. Danino says, 'Several surveys have pointed to the fact that social science at one hand and mathematics and another for different reasons, obviously have been among the most disliked disciplines.' He adds, 'We wanted to try to break that jinx… so we have been juggling with the syllabus quite a lot. And we are fairly satisfied that we have managed to reduce the information load without sacrificing the essentials of what we would like students to remember.' On the point of highlighting 'brutality,' of the Mughals, Mr. Danino said that the textbooks speak of 'brutality,' and 'tolerance.' 'It is a fact that this is a period which sees a lot of violence. We have been very moderate because if you look at the entire literature, I am talking about primary sources now, especially Muslim texts, whether it is Baburnama or Akbarnama there is absolutely no doubt that these conquests were very violent.' 'Especially in the initial stages, by the way, this violence was not limited to India. If you see how the Turkic, Mughal, the Afghan powers, warred against each other, in the Indian subcontinent as well as in Central Asia, sometimes in Persia, sometimes in other places beyond. The same violence is a kind of recurring motive. So what we are saying is simply that this has to be acknowledged as a fact of history.' On the disclaimer inserted before the History section in the textbook titled 'A note on history's darker periods,' Mr. Danino said, 'It was more of a preparatory note for the student who suddenly would be exposed to unpleasant events of the past.' Mr. Danino further said while commenting on 'drain of wealth,' from India during colonial era rule said, 'I feel that Britain has not recognised sufficiently the tremendous amount of suffering that it inflicted, not only in India in in most of its colonies. I will not discuss the question of reparation, which is a separate question, but at least an honest admission of guilt.'
Time of India
20-07-2025
- Time of India
Glass finds at Vadnagar reflect its overseas links
Ahmedabad: Tiny beads, fragments of bangles, or other objects made of glass from Vadnagar in north Gujarat have shed light on the nature of the town's connections with far-flung places, ranging from China on one side to the Mediterranean Sea on the other. A team of researchers from India and the US studied the composition of the glass found from excavations and correlated it with known samples associated with specific regions of the world, placing the ancient town with over 2,000 years of continuous history on the trade map of ancient India. The study, 'Indian Ocean Connections and Regional Trade: An Elemental and Isotopic Study of the Glass of Vadnagar, Gujarat,' by Laure Dussubieux from the Field Museum in Chicago; Alok Kumar Kanungo from IIT Gandhinagar; Yadubir Singh Rawat from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI); and Pankaj Sharma from the Gujarat state directorate of archaeology and museums, was recently published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, an Elsevier publication. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad Gujarat's unique position on the Indian Ocean has favoured long-distance trade, which is evident from the presence of significant quantities of glass objects with compositions typical of the east Mediterranean basin and the Middle East. Glass exchanges via the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea were likely bi-directional, with objects travelling east to Gujarat and also travelling west from the state to the Middle East or Egypt, as mentioned in the study. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Start planning your next adventure today Hotel Deals | Search Ads Browse Now Undo The researchers also found a type of glass believed to be produced in Gujarat, possibly for local demand. For the study, the researchers chose 47 representative samples from over 500 artefacts excavated from the site. These ranged from beads, decorative items, bangles, glass shards and tubes among others, indicating a wide range of glass objects. The researchers used modern techniques such as laser ablation and spectrometry to understand the composition of the glass. The glasses were divided into groups such as soda-rich, potash-rich, and contents of alumina and lime, among others. According to the study, the potash glass dates from the 1st century BC to the 1st century AD, whereas those with mineral soda flux and sand with variable proportions of lime and alumina date to the 3rd century BC to the 1st century AD. The later samples with soda plant ash glass date to the 14th-15th centuries AD.
Time of India
20-07-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Flash floods rising, new hotspots emerging across India: IIT study
Dehradun: A new study by researchers at IIT Gandhinagar has warned that flash floods – sudden, high-intensity events triggered by extreme rainfall – are becoming more frequent and severe across India. Titled 'Drivers of Flash Floods in the Indian Subcontinental River Basins', the study documents the emergence of flash floods in regions previously considered low-risk. The study points out that semi-arid zones in central India, where flash floods were uncommon, are now seeing more such events due to rising high-intensity rainfall. The western Himalayas face added risk from cloudbursts and snowmelt, which often trigger localised floods, debris flows, and landslides, the study adds. Vulnerable river basins include the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Godavari, with new risks emerging along the southeast coast during the northeast monsoon and in Andhra Pradesh during the pre-monsoon season. Notably, earlier this week, heavy rainfall had triggered flash floods that wreaked havoc in parts of Madhya Pradesh. Several areas in Chhatarpur village were completely submerged as rivers and canals overflowed. More than a dozen people had to be rescued from the affected regions. The study also highlights an uptick in intense, short-duration rainfall across peninsular and western India, as well as the lower Himalayas -- trends linked to a warming climate. Even areas with historically low rainfall are now at risk, as dry soils increasingly repel water, converting moderate rain into dangerous runoff,the study says, adding that this shift necessitates the need for regular updates to flood risk maps. The study noted that India sees around 10,000 flash floods annually, affecting over 90 million hectares of land, citing data from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The Himalayas, west coast, and central India have emerged as key hotspots for such events, the study says. In the Himalayas, steep terrain and dense drainage systems are intensifying the threat, while central India and the Western Ghats face high flashiness – a rapid streamflow response to rainfall – exacerbated by low soil moisture. The researchers found that nearly 75% of flash floods result from extreme rainfall coupled with saturated or dry soils that limit absorption, causing rapid runoff. The remaining 25% stem from short, intense downpours, often under six hours, that can overwhelm even well-drained areas. The researchers called for the integration of geomorphological and real-time hydrological data to strengthen flash flood forecasting. Sub-basin-level assessments, they noted, are critical for early warning systems, especially in hilly regions. The findings point to an urgent need for climate-resilient infrastructure, better land-use planning, and robust disaster management, they added. "The findings have significant implications for flash flood management in India. The study highlights the need for region-specific adaptation strategies tailored to local topography and antecedent basin conditions, as not all extreme rainfall events result in flash floods. Recognising potential new flash flood hotspots is crucial for urban planning and infrastructure resilience in a changing climate," said Vimal Mishra, one of the authors.
