NCERT Textbook Revisions: Hitler References Removed, Congress' Partition Stance Tweaked

NEW DELHI: The revised NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook, released after the Supreme Court ordered the withdrawal of an earlier edition over a controversial chapter on the judiciary, has introduced several other changes, including revisions to its account of the Congress' stand on the 1947 Partition and the removal of references to Adolf Hitler and Nazi ideology.

The latest edition, 'Exploring Society: India and Beyond', was issued after NCERT rewrote the chapter on the judiciary following strong criticism from the apex court, which had described the earlier content as offensive and directed that all physical and digital copies be withdrawn.

The revised book now also contains changes in its history chapter dealing with India's independence and Partition.

One of the key revisions relates to the Congress' position on Partition. The earlier textbook stated that although Mahatma Gandhi and most Congress leaders opposed Partition, they 'ended up accepting it as the only way forward'. The revised edition now says that Partition was 'widely opposed even by the Indian National Congress' and adds that whether accepting it was 'the only way forward' remains a matter of debate.

The new version has also removed a sentence from the earlier textbook which said that 'the Congress leaders were helpless as communal massacres engulfed the subcontinent during Partition.'

Another significant change concerns the description of freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's efforts during the Second World War. The earlier edition stated that Bose sought the support of Adolf Hitler and described the German leader as a 'dictator whose racist Nazi ideology and expansionist goals' had triggered the war. The revised textbook instead says Bose 'sought support from the anti-British forces', removing all references to Hitler and Nazi ideology.

The history chapter has also been expanded to include a reference to Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, stating that 'a similar demand for Swaraj was expressed by VD Savarkar in 1925' while discussing calls for complete independence.

The revised textbook comes months after the Supreme Court intervened over a chapter on the judiciary that discussed corruption, judicial backlogs and complaints against judges.

Taking suo motu cognisance of the issue, the top court ordered the withdrawal of the textbook from circulation, imposed a blanket ban on its publication in physical and digital form, and directed NCERT to rewrite the chapter.

Following the court's directions, NCERT apologised for what it described as an 'error of judgement' and released a revised edition this week.

The rewritten chapter now focuses on the constitutional role of the judiciary instead of its shortcomings. It explains the structure of courts, constitutional remedies under Articles 32 and 226, Public Interest Litigation (PIL), tribunals, alternative dispute resolution mechanisms such as arbitration and mediation and digital initiatives including e-filing, hybrid hearings and live streaming of court proceedings.

The revised edition states in its acknowledgements that it was published after a review process undertaken 'in compliance with the directions of the Supreme Court' in a suo motu writ petition. It also observes that the chapter on the judiciary was rewritten by an expert committee constituted by the education ministry following the apex court's directions.

The development also marks changes in the list of contributors. While the withdrawn textbook listed 51 members in its development team, the revised edition includes 48 names, with the names of Michel Danino, Suparna Diwakar and Alok Prasanna Kumar omitted. The three academics had earlier been associated with the controversial judiciary chapter.(with inputs from PTI)