To inculcate the values of patriotism and the participation of youngsters in nation-building, NCERT has included a poem on the National War Memorial and a chapter on India-Pakistan war martyr Abdul Hameed in the curriculum. The additions have been made to the class 6 curriculum of NCERT books from this academic year.
The objective of the initiative is jointly undertaken by the defence and the education ministries.
News agency PTI quoted a senior official as saying, "The poem 'National War Memorial' is to appreciate the spirit behind it. The chapter titled 'Veer Abdul Hameed' honours the braveheart Abdul Hameed, who made the supreme sacrifice fighting for the country during the India-Pakistan war of 1965 and was (posthumously) awarded the country's highest gallantry award Param Veer Chakra."
"As part of an action plan initiated towards branding the National War Memorial as an iconic national monument, the Ministry of Defence has collaborated with the Ministry of Education to add the memorial and related references or material in the curriculum," the official added.
Established in 2019, the National War Memorial aims to inculcate a sense of high moral value, sacrifice, national spirit and belongingness in each citizen and pay a befitting tribute to the soldiers who laid down their lives defending the nation.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is an autonomous organisation set up in 1961 by the Government of India to assist and advise the Central and State Governments on policies and programmes for qualitative improvement in school education.