Saying Only Preamble Reflects Constitution Is Flawed: Official Amid Row

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has responded to the recent controversy surrounding the alleged removal of the Preamble from its textbooks, stating that the claims are unfounded.

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- 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. 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," Professor Ranjana Arora, Head of the Department of Curriculum Studies and Development at NCERT wrote in a post on X.

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

Earlier, Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Manoj Jha questioned the "silence" of alliance partners (INDIA bloc) over the issue and said the preamble of the Constitution is being "violated."

His statement came after the NCERT left Babri Masjid out, referring to it only as a "three-dome structure" in its revised Class 12th Political Science textbook. The revision pertains to Chapter 8, 'Recent Developments in Indian Politics'.

"The education policy should be guided by the Constitution...The preamble of the Constitution is being violated...Shouldn't the holocaust, partition and war be taught to the students?... What kind of people are taking decisions ?... The students should know everything that despite hatred, hate and violence India evolved...Why are the alliance partners silent ?... This is an issue related to the future of students," Manoj Jha told ANI.

NCERT revised its Class XII political science textbook, saying the change reflects the Supreme Court's verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. The final judgement in the Supreme Court was declared on 9 November 2019. The Supreme Court ordered the land to be handed over to a trust to build the Hindu temple.

New NCERT textbooks have hit the market with several deletions and changes. The revised Class 12 political science textbook, does not mention the Babri Masjid, but refers to it as a "three-domed structure and has condensed the Ayodhya section from four pages to two.

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