Scrap outdated NCERT textbooks

The CBSE has been directing the schools affiliated to its board to follow NCERT syllabus and textbooks published by them. Recently, the HRD has directed even ICSE to switch over to NCERT syllabus.

Ever since the new government came to power in 2014, they seem to be concentrating more on either erasing some facts of history text books or attempting to change facts to align with its ideology .

I chanced upon to glance NCERT'S "Environmental Studies: Looking Around a textbook prescribed for Class V first published in 2008 and has been reprinted more than five times without any revision.

The Chapter 12 "What if it Finishes"…?, explains to the children about petroleum products and its use in different fields. It still talks about comparative price of petrol/diesel in Chennai in 2002 and 2007.

There is another paragraph "Wood for chullha" (stove) which says a home maker in Haryana named Durga spends many hours collecting wood for the "chullha(stove) and her daughter also help her on this.

It further adds for over three months she has cough but has no option when there is not enough money to buy food, where will be money to buy wood.

The teachers are then asked to discuss with children "Have you ever collected dry wood or made cow dung cakes? How they are made?, Do you know any one who collects dry wood or leaves to be used for lightning a chulha.

The chapter contain all outdated information and children of 2019 are still being made to learn from a 11- year- old book.

The government of the day instead of asking NCERT to change and rewrite history textbooks, should direct them to focus on revision of facts based on present to learn how things have changed over the last one decade to safeguard the health of people and environment.

After all, BJP has been winning elections how villages across India have switched over from chulla to LPG under PM's flagship "Ujwala" scheme.

N Nagarajan, Hyderabad