This year, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has removed the Preamble to the Constitution from a number of Class 3 and Class 6 textbooks. The Preamble has been removed from subjects such as languages and environmental studies (EVS).
For class 6, NCERT has only released one book on environmental studies this year. It used to publish three novels in the past. Neither the Sanskrit textbook "Deepakam" nor the new class 6 English textbook "Poorvi" contain the Preamble. The national song and anthem are now included in both of these publications, as reported by The Telegraph.
The Preamble is not printed in any of the new textbooks for Class 3, including those for Hindi, English, mathematics, and World Around Us (which has replaced EVS).
NCERT's response
According to Professor Ranjana Arora, Head of NCERT's Department of Curriculum Studies and Development, there is no solid evidence to support the claims that the Preamble was removed from the NCERT textbooks. The Preamble, fundamental duties, fundamental rights, and the national anthem are among the aspects of the Indian Constitution that the NCERT is now placing a high priority on for the first time.
She further said, "All these are being placed in various textbooks of various stages."
"The understanding that only the Preamble reflects the Constitution and Constitutional Values is flawed and narrow. Why should children not acquire Constitutional Values from Fundamental Duties, Fundamental Rights and National Anthem along with Preamble? We give equal importance to all of these for the holistic development of children following the vision of NEP - 2020," she said.
The Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan, has refuted allegations that the Preamble of the Constitution has been removed from NCERT textbooks.
He claims that, "For the first time under the National Education Policy, NCERT has given due importance and respect to various aspects of the Indian Constitution - Preamble, Fundamental Duties, Fundamental Rights, National Anthem - in the textbooks...Those who are playing with the future of children and calling the Indian education system rubbish should try to know the truth before spreading lies."
He argued that the Congress party's understanding of the Constitution is limited, and they are trying to politicise the issue. Pradhan further stated that the Congress party's ancestors had repeatedly gone against the basic spirit of the Constitution, and they should understand the Constitution, constitutional values, and NEP before doing petty politics in the name of the country's children.
The Preamble had previously appeared in the first pages of the books for both grades. Preamble is absent from all textbooks for Class III, however it is included in only two books for Class VI: the Hindi book Malhar and the science book Curiosity.
New textbooks for Classes III and VI have been released this year with consideration for the recently implemented National Curriculum Framework.
