CBSE removes chapters on Mughals, cold war, Urdu poem verses of Faiz

NEW DELHI: The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has removed a chapter titled ‘The Mughal Court: Reconstructing Histories through Chronicles’ from the Class 12 history syllabus, and chapters on the Cold War era and the non–aligned movement, social and new social movements in India from the Class 12 political science syllabus. Other chapters such as the rise of Islamic empires in Afro-Asian territories and the industrial revolution has also been removed from the Class 11, 12 CBSE syllabus 2022-23.

The translated excerpts from two poems by Faiz Ahmed Faiz in Urdu language under the “Religion, Communalism and Politics — Communalism, Secular State” section has been removed from the CBSE 10th syllabus 2022-23. The poems have been removed from the NCERT textbook titled “Democratic Politics II.” The changes have been made in the CBSE syllabus 2022-23 released on April 21. Topics of "impact of globalisation on agriculture” from a chapter on 'Food Security' has also been dropped by the board. Two posters in the NCERT textbook and a political cartoon were also removed.

“Democracy and diversity,” a chapter from the Class 10 NCERT book, which deals with social divisions and inequalities on the basis of race and caste across India and the world, was also dropped from the CBSE new syllabus. Chapters such as “popular struggle and movements” and “challenges to democracy” were also removed.

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The chapter titled "Central Islamic Lands" dropped from the CBSE Class 11 history syllabus deals with the rise of Islamic empires in the Afro-Asian territories and its implications for economy and society. The chapter talks about the arenas of Islam, its emergence, the rise of the caliphate and empire building. The dropped chapter of CBSE Class 12 history syllabus titled 'The Mughal Court: Reconstructing Histories through Chronicles' deals with the chronicles of Mughal courts. The chapter gives insights into the social, religious and cultural history of the Mughals.

According to CBSE, the modification in the new CBSE syllabus has been made as per the recommendations of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). But many teachers have questioned the removal of these chapters from the CBSE syllabus 2022-23.

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"CBSE annually provides curriculum for classes 9 to 12 containing academic content, syllabus for examinations with learning outcomes, pedagogical practices and assessment guidelines. Considering the feedback of stakeholders and other prevailing conditions, the board is in favour of conducting the annual scheme of assessment at the end of the academic session 2022-23 and the curriculum has been designed accordingly," a senior board official reportedly said.

CBSE had removed chapters in the past as well. In the year 2020, the board had said that it will not consider the chapters on federalism, citizenship, nationalism, and secularism in the Class 11 political science textbook for the assessment of students. But these topics were reinstated later following a controversy.

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CBSE had discontinued the two-term system introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic period in the new CBSE syllabus 2022-23. The CBSE new syllabus can be viewed from the CBSE website -- cbseacademic.nic.

(with inputs from PTI)