Writer and scholar Baragur Ramachandrappa, appointed to head the textbook review committee, said his focus in re-examining the content of school curriculum would not be limited to correcting factual errors. He would go a step ahead and ensure that the overall perspective is “in keeping with the basic Constitutional principles”. Speaking to The Hindu , Prof. Ramachandrappa, who earlier headed a committee to form a Culture Policy for the State, pointed out that the National Curriculum Framework framed in 2005 specifies that textbooks should uphold democratic and secular values as inviolable principles.
Old controversy
There was a furore during the previous Bharatiya Janata Party government over the content of textbooks — especially those of History prescribed to classes 5 and 8 — with accusations that they had a saffron slant. For instance, the class 8 textbook had a map of “undivided India”, which was eventually dropped.
“It is not enough if a history or a language textbook does not hurt religious sentiments. It should actively work towards creating healthy minds that respect all faiths and the diversity of our social fabric,” said Prof. Ramachandrappa.
Notion of history
He believes that it is also important to raise some basic questions on what constitutes history.
“A country’s history is not just those of kings and queens, but of common people as well. We need to integrate these two perspectives,” he said. The challenge would be to scale down these ideas and ideals to make them accessible to high school students, he added.
Views of experts
Prof. Ramachandrappa said he would be holding consultations with not just 185 members of the committees appointed, but also several subject experts in the process of the review.
A country’s history is not just those of kings and queens, but of common people as well
