NEW DELHI, Jan 24:
The CIC has pulled up NCERT for chopping out content on national leaders like Subhas Chandra Bose and revolutionaries from its text books and directed it to suo-moto disclose the reasons behind such decisions.
In a terse order, the Commission asked NCERT to disclose why content on Swami Vivekananda was reduced from 1250 to 37 words in Class XII history books and completely removed from Class VIII books.
The case reached Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu through a plea of Jaipur-based Suryapratap Singh Rajawat, who criticised non-inclusion of history of eminent personalities and revolutionaries in the NCERT books.
Through a series of RTI applications and public grievance application, Rajawat claimed content on 36 national leaders and revolutionaries like Chandra Shekhar Azad, Ashfaqullah Khan, Batukeshwar Dutt, Ram Prasad Bismil among others was completely missing from history text books of NCERT.
Not getting satisfactory reply, he approached the transparency panel.
During the hearing before the CIC, Rajawat asserted that it was not appropriate to give 37 pages to cricket and history of cloth but nothing on the lives of freedom fighters.
Rajawat submitted a table in which the photos of these great persons was inserted with a tag ‘not found’ in NCERT text books.
The official representing the NCERT said all the suggestions made by the appellant will be placed before the Syllabus Revision Committee and would implement the committee’s recommendations as given by them.
Professor Neeraj Rashmi, representing NCERT, said they could not interfere with the independent committee which decides the content of lessons and textbooks.
In his arguments, Rajawat claimed that prior to 2007 NCERT contained 500 words about Netaji in Class VIII and 1250 words in Class XII text books whereas now in Class XII only 87 words are given while in Class VIII his mention is totally missing.
Rajawat said stories of 36 revolutionary leaders including Chandrasekhar Azad and Sukhdev are also not there.
He said all the lessons mentioning the revolutionary stories of these personalities were removed from these books.
“The appellant’s RTI application is more a criticism, or suggestion or opinion. It could be a complaint also. The Commission opines that respondent authority should have considered applicant’s RTI request as a complaint, and that he has a right to know the action taken on his complaint,” Acharyulu pointed out.
Acharyulu said it is the duty of the public authority under Section 4(1)(c), which say publish all relevant facts while formulating important policies or announcing the decisions which affect the public, and (d) provide reasons for its administrative or quasi judicial decisions.
The Commissioner directed the NCERT to suo-moto declare, as mandated under Section 4 of the RTI Act, point wise explanations to the questions that he culled out from the numerous RTI applications and grievances of Rajawat.
“Why the content on the life of Swami Vivekananda was reduced from 1250 words to 87 words in 12th Class textbook and why it is removed totally from 8th class textbook, if what is pointed out by the appellant was true?
“Why the national heroes found less space while giving 37 pages to…Cricket and history of cloth, if it is true
“How many of 36 national heroes listed in this order were mentioned in the lessons, if it is not true that 36 heroes were ignored?
“What are the efforts taken by the NCERT to make the lessons about the history and national heroes strictly objective without any bias or orientation, as apprehended by the appellant? ,” he directed.
The Commissioner said Rajawat’s complaint deserves consideration and a comprehensive response from the appropriate committee. (PTI)
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