NCERT revises Ayodhya dispute section in Class XII political science book: Report

The NCERT has revised the section of Ayodhya dispute in its class 12th political science book to give primacy to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, factor in the 2019 Supreme Court verdict allowing the temple, and have deleted at least three references to the December 6, 1992 demolition of the Babri Masjid, according to a media report.

The revised book is expected to be in classrooms in a month.

These changes are part of the revision of school textbooks undertaken by NCERT for the academic year 2024-25, which were recently communicated to the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), reported The Indian Express.

This is the fourth round of revision and updating of NCERT textbooks since 2014. The first round, in 2017, was called a “review”, and not a revision, as the then NCERT director cited the need to update textbooks to reflect recent events, changes.

The revisions have been done in Chapter 8 in the original book ‘Politics in India since Independence’ – this has been the text since 2006-07 – which lists Ayodhya movement as one of the five key “recent developments” in Indian politics. The other four being: decline of the Congress after its defeat in 1989; the Mandal Commission in 1990; economic reforms beginning 1991; and the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.

In the original chapter, there is a four-page section (pages 148-151) on the Ayodhya dispute which details the sequence of events: opening of the locks in 1986, the “mobilisation on both sides,” the demolition of the Babri Masjid. It also talks about the demolition’s aftermath, President’s rule in BJP-ruled states, communal violence and the “serious debate over secularism,” the report said.

The revised version of this section is not available but NCERT has made public the fact that it has been changed and its reasons behind the change.

“Content is updated as per latest development in politics. Text on Ayodhya issue has been thoroughly revised because of the latest changes brought by Supreme Court’s Constitutional bench verdict and its widespread welcoming reception,” it has said on its website.

It has made public four changes in the chapter in line with this justification. In one of the sections, the changes are as follows:

Old Book (page 139):

New Book (revised section)

“…A number of events culminated in the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya (known as Babri Masjid) in December 1992. This event symbolised and triggered various changes in the politics of the country and intensified debates about the nature of Indian nationalism and secularism. These developments are associated with the rise of the BJP and the politics of ‘Hindutva’.”

“… the centuries old legal and political dispute over the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya started influencing the politics of India which gave birth to various political changes. The Ram Janmabhoomi Temple Movement, becoming the central issue, transformed the direction of the discourse on secularism and democracy. These changes culminated in the construction of the Ram Temple at Ayodhya following the decision of the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court (which was announced on November 9, 2019).”

The official reason for this latest exercise was to reduce the curriculum load further, and to help students recover from learning disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The office of NCERT director Dinesh Saklani on being asked about these changes and the revisions in the three-page section, said: “I am directed to inform that information regarding your query is available on NCERT website.”

National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is the apex body tasked with drafting school textbooks and advising the Union government on school education.