The Ministry of Education has released a pre-draft version of National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for School Education.

National Curriculum Framework (NCF)

Salient features of NCF

(1) Values and Roots

• A key part of the document is the inclusion of values and its “rootedness” in India.
• The pre-draft says that the framework is deeply rooted in India in content and learning of languages, in the pedagogical approaches including tools and resources, and in philosophical basis — in the aims and in the epistemic approach.
• The document further says that it leans towards making students acquainted with true sources of knowledge, which have been a philosophical preoccupation of ancient Indians.
• These sources focus on six pramanas: pratyaksa, anumana, upamana, arthapatti, anupalabdhi, and sabda.

(2) Moral Development

• A part of the document focuses on the moral development of a child through panchakosha vikas or five-fold development.
• The pre-draft recommends developing moral values for the child through a balanced diet, traditional games, yoga asanas, as well as a wide variety of stories, songs, lullabies, poems, and prayers to develop a love for cultural context.

(3) Curriculum revamp

• The pre-draft says that for Grade 10 certification, students will have to take two essential courses from humanities, maths and computing, vocational education, physical education, arts education, social science, science, and interdisciplinary areas.
• In Grade 11 and 12, students will be offered choice-based courses in the same disciplines for more rigorous engagement.
• Arts education will include music, dance, theatre, sculpture, painting, set design, scriptwriting, while interdisciplinary areas will include knowledge of India, traditions, and practices of Indian knowledge systems.
• For Class 11 and 12, the document states that “Modular Board Exams will be offered as opposed to a single exam at the end of the year, and the final result will be based on the cumulative result of each exam.”
• The framework of the social science curriculum emphasizes understanding and appreciating the feeling of Indianess, ‘bhartiyata,’ by valuing the rich cultural heritage and tradition of the country.
• It also stresses on identifying and explaining important phases of the Indian national movement against British rule, with special reference to Gandhian and other subaltern movements.

(4) Social Science Curriculum

• The pre-draft emphasizes understanding and appreciating the feeling of Indianess, “bhartiyata,” by valuing the rich cultural heritage and tradition of the country.
• The pre-draft also stresses on identifying and explaining important phases of the Indian national movement against British rule, with special reference to Gandhian and other subaltern movements.
• It also recommends teaching concepts of Buddhism, Jainism, and Vedic and Confucian philosophies.

(5) Follow-up processes

• As a follow-up to the National Education Policy 2020, development of four National Curriculum Frameworks — NCF for School Education, NCF for Early Childhood Care and Education, NCF for Teacher Education, and NCF for Adult Education — have been initiated.
• The National Steering Committee under the chairmanship of K. Kasturirangan was set up by the Ministry to undertake and develop NCFs.

Controversy over curriculum revamp

• The latest round of textbook rationalisation has resulted in some of the most sweeping changes in the curriculum since the NDA government came to power.
• These changes include removing all references to the 2002 Gujarat riots, reducing content related to the Mughal era and the caste system, and dropping chapters on protests and social movements.
• Many of these changes are seen as ‘political’, however, their earlier introduction into curriculum was also a political move.

The furore over Mughal History

• While some of the content on the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire has indeed been removed from the history textbook for Class 7, the Mughals have not entirely disappeared.
• For instance, the chapter ‘The Mughal Empire’ in the Class 7 history textbook, Our Pasts – II, has undergone deletions — including a two-page table on the milestones and achievements of the reigns of the emperors Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb.
• However, the chapter itself has not been removed.
• Students of Class 7 will continue to learn about the Mughals, though in lesser detail.

Significance

• School textbooks have always been seen as playing a crucial role in shaping national narratives, and as a tool for cultivating a desired national identity.
• NCERT textbooks are read by more than 5 crore students in 18 states around the country, who are seen by political parties as a large captive audience with impressionable minds.
• It’s not just school students either — candidates preparing for competitive exams such as the Civil Services Examination, SSC, JEE, and NEET, also rely on these textbooks.

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