NCERT forms panel to review Class 8 map after Jaisalmer objection

NCERT has set up a panel of senior experts to review feedback on certain textbooks, following objections to a map in the new Class 8 social science book that depicts parts of Rajasthan as under the Maratha empire.

In a statement on Aug 7, 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 evidence and submit its report at the earliest possible date.”

The move comes after Chaitanya Raj Singh, from Jaisalmer’s erstwhile royal family, criticized the map in a post on X earlier this week, calling it “historically misleading, factually baseless, and deeply objectionable.”

He said there are “no authentic historical sources” indicating Maratha control, invasion, taxation, or authority over Jaisalmer.

According to NCERT, such review committees are a standard practice when substantial feedback is received.

The panels typically include high-level domain experts from reputed institutions and subject specialists and are convened by the Head of the Curriculum Department.

The new textbooks, prepared under the National Education Policy 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education 2023, have been released for Classes 1 to 8, with the Class 8 books launched last month.

Michel Danino, chairperson of NCERT’s curricular area group for social science, said in a note on Aug 6 that “further research is on to confirm that our map’s boundaries are incorrect.”

He added, “If they are, a revised map will be prepared based on the best information available and submitted for future editions of the textbook. We are fully open to error correction.”

Danino clarified that the chapter was developed with input from two experts on the Maratha period and that Jaisalmer is not mentioned anywhere in the text or map.

The map, he said, was adapted from earlier published versions that faced no previous objections and includes areas under direct Maratha control, as well as regions paying tribute or bound by agreements.

He acknowledged that historical maps freeze a particular moment in time, while the reality was “much more complex, fluid, and fast evolving.”

He also noted that the team was working under tight deadlines, which meant relying on secondary sources considered authentic and scholarly.

Danino admitted that while the Class 7 textbook includes a caveat stating map borders are approximate, the same note was mistakenly omitted from the Class 8 edition and should have been included.