NCERT Removes ‘Khalistan’ From Political Science Books After Objections

After the objection from the Sikh’s body SGPC, NCERT had to remove the ‘Khalistan’ topic from class 12 textbooks which says that Sikhs wanted a separate community.

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has decided to remove objectionable content concerning the Sikh community from the political science textbook for Class 12 students of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). 

This decision was made in response to representations received from stakeholders, particularly a letter from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and a recommendation from an expert group appointed by NCERT.

Sanjay Kumar, the Secretary of School Education, explained in an exclusive interview with ANI that the SGPC had raised concerns about certain lines in the political science textbook that referred to the Anandpur Sahib Resolution. 

The SGPC objected to the statement in the book that suggested the Sikhs wanted a ‘separate Sikh Nation’ based on the resolution. 

According to Kumar, the SGPC argued that the Anandpur Sahib Resolution did not advocate for a separate Sikh nation, prompting their request for a change.

Upon receiving such requests, NCERT forms an expert committee to review the matter and makes decisions based on their recommendations. 

In this case, the expert committee examined the Anandpur Sahib Resolution and provided its recommendation to NCERT. 

As a result, NCERT made some minor changes to the textbook, removing the objectionable content.

The changes made include dropping the line that stated the Anandpur Sahib Resolution could be interpreted as a plea for a separate Sikh nation. 

Instead, the line now states that the resolution was a plea for strengthening federalism in India. Additionally, the mention of the creation of ‘Khalistan’ was removed from the textbook.

NCERT has issued a corrigendum to CBSE, instructing that the corrected version be made available to teachers and removed from digital books. The updated version of the Class 12 Political Science Textbook, reflecting the changes, has been uploaded on the NCERT’s website.

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The decision to remove the topic of ‘Khalistan’ from the textbook comes after objections were raised by the SGPC, highlighting the importance of addressing concerns raised by stakeholders and ensuring accurate representation in educational materials.