"No Basis, Petty Politics": Education Minister On Preamble Being 'Removed' From Textbooks

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday firmly refuted allegations that the Preamble of the Indian Constitution has been removed from NCERT textbooks.

In a tweet, Mr Pradhan stated that these claims have no basis and emphasized that, under the National Education Policy (NEP), the NCERT has given due importance to various aspects of the Indian Constitution, including the Preamble, Fundamental Duties, Fundamental Rights, and the National Anthem.

Mr Pradhan criticized those spreading misinformation about the Indian education system, accusing them of playing with the future of children. He argued that the Congress party, inspired by Macaulay's ideology, has always been antagonistic towards India's development and education system. He asserted that the Congress' argument that only the Preamble reflects constitutional values exposes their limited understanding of the Constitution.

"The allegations of removing the Preamble of the Constitution from NCERT textbooks have no basis. 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. Inspired by Macaulay's ideology, Congress has always hated India's development and education system. The argument that only the Preamble of the Constitution reflects constitutional values exposes Congress' understanding of the Constitution," the minister wrote on X.

"Congress's cup of sins is full and those who are roaming around these days as 'fake Constitution lovers' and waving copies of the Constitution, their ancestors had repeatedly killed the basic spirit of the Constitution. If there is even a little shame and remorse left in the Congress Party, then it should first understand the Constitution, constitutional values and NEP and stop doing petty politics in the name of the children of the country," the post said. 

Professor Ranjana Arora, Head of the Department of Curriculum Studies and Development at NCERT through a social media post on X said that the understanding that "only the Preamble reflects the Constitution and Constitutional Values is flawed and narrow".

"The allegations regarding the removal of the Preamble from the NCERT textbooks do not have a sound basis. For the first time, NCERT is giving great importance to various facets of the Indian Constitution- the Preamble, Fundamental Duties, Fundamental Rights and the National Anthem. 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," she wrote.

"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 added.

The clarification from the educational body comes amid claims by the opposition of the Preamble being omitted from NCERT textbooks.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)