New Delhi: The National Council for Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is facing criticism for dropping the Preamble to the Constitution from texts book of Class III and VI, The Indian Express reported.
Professor Ranjana Arora who heads NCERT’s Department of Curriculum Studies and Development defended the decision claiming that the new textbooks highlight various aspects of the Indian Constitution including the preamble, fundamental duties, fundamental rights, and the national anthem.
Arora termed it a ‘misconception’ to consider the Preamble as the only representation of constitutional values.
"We give equal importance to all of these for the holistic development of children, following the vision of NEP 2020," she was quoted as stating.
The NCERT is revising textbooks after ruling BJP introduced the National Education Policy (NEP) in 2020.
Aligning with the new National Curriculum Framework, NCERT brought out textbooks for Class III and VI this year.
The Preamble is now incorporated selectively into a few books, where it was previously a fixture in the initial pages of several Class VI textbooks.
The Congress has come down on the decision with party spokesperson Dr Shama Mohammed alleging the BJP government is trying to dismantle the Constitution.
Dr Shama Mohammed also stated: ‘The Preamble to the Constitution has been dropped from several Class III and Class VI textbooks issued by the NCERT this year. The BJP government has launched a full-scale assault to destroy India’s Constitution. All parents must come together and object to this blatant attempt to erase our history.’