NCERT restores original Dancing Girl image in Class 9 textbook after backlash

NCERT has decided to restore the original image of the iconic Dancing Girl sculpture in a Class 9 textbook after concerns were raised over a modified depiction included in the newly introduced publication.

NCERT Director Dinesh Saklani said the matter was reviewed after it came to the council's attention, and experts were consulted before the decision was made.

"After consultation with experts, the Dancing Girl image is being replaced with original version," he said.

According to NCERT, the correction will be implemented immediately in the online edition of the textbook, while future printed copies will carry the revised image.

The issue pertains to Madhurima, a new arts education textbook for Class 9. The Dancing Girl, a bronze figurine unearthed at Mohenjo-daro, is among the most renowned artifacts of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Created more than 4,000 years ago, the sculpture is widely regarded as a landmark of early artistic expression.

The controversy emerged after readers noticed that the image published in the textbook differed from the original artifact. While the actual sculpture features a bare torso, the textbook version showed the torso shaded from the shoulders downward.

The altered image appeared in the opening chapter, "History of Arts." The change attracted attention because the sculpture is commonly presented in its original form in academic works, museum collections, archaeology publications, and history textbooks around the world.

Earlier, Saklani said, "There is no specific reason behind masking the torso. The matter has been referred to the Art and Education department, responsible for the textbook framing."

The Dancing Girl remains one of the most recognizable symbols of the Indus Valley Civilization and is considered a significant part of South Asia's cultural and historical heritage.