The 2002 Gujarat riots, the Ayodhya dispute and the 1984 Sikh carnage will be a part of the class XII curriculum for political science as the NCERT has decided to include in its texts events that influenced the political process in the country since Independence. However, the textbook writers will steer clear of any controversy and give information from government sources.
The change in the syllabus comes in the wake of the implementation of the National Curriculum Framework, which suggests that the textbooks should connect knowledge to real life situations.
You cannot teach political science to students, sidestepping the major events, which had significant influence on society and polity, no matter whether controversial or not, Prof Yogendra Yadav, a member of the panel for preparation of political science textbooks, said
So we are covering all major happenings, including Gujarat riots, Ayodhya incident, Emergency and many other controversies, he said.
The topics would give the established facts taken from government sources which cannot be disputed by anybody, he said adding that the text would also refrain from going into full details of the incidents.
From: Tribune News Service, 17-08-06
