The Human Resources Development of Minister (MHRD) Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ on Thursday, July 9, 2020, said there has been an “uninformed commentary” on the exclusion of certain topics from the CBSE syllabus to portray a false narrative. The comments by the minister came after the opposition allege that chapters on India’s democracy and plurality are being “dropped” to propagate a particular ideology.

The syllabus for classes 9 to 12 of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has been reduced by 30% for the academic year 2020-21 due to Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.

Pokhriyal tweeted, “There has been a lot of uninformed commentary on the exclusion of some topics from CBSE syllabus. The problem with these comments is that they resort to sensationalism by connecting topics selectively to portray a false narrative.

While it is easy to misconstrue exclusion of 3-4 topics like nationalism, local government, federalism, etc and build a concocted narrative, a wider perusal of different subjects will show that this exclusion is happening across subjects.”

There has been a lot of uninformed commentary on the exclusion of some topics from #CBSESyllabus. The problem with these comments is that they resort to sensationalism by connecting topics selectively to portray a false narrative.

— Dr. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (@DrRPNishank) July 9, 2020

The minister also said, “As CBSE has clarified, schools have been advised to follow the NCERT Alternate Academic Calendar, and all the topics mentioned have been covered under the same. The exclusions are merely a one-time measure for exams, due to the COVID19 pandemic.

The only aim is to relax the stress on students by reducing the syllabus by 30 per cent. This exercise has been carried out following the advice & recommendations of various experts and considering the suggestions received from educationists through our #SyllabusForStudents2020 campaign.”

The minister also appealed that “politics be left out of education” – he said, “It is our humble request. Education is our sacred duty towards our children. Let us leave politics out of education and make our politics more educated.”

Source: News18

Also read: NCERT alternative academic calendar for classes 1 to 5 released by HRD Minister