NCERT to develop new textbooks as per NEP 2020 for new academic year

NEW DELHI: In accordance with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) will develop a new set of textbooks which will be introduced from the 2024-25 academic session.

In the year 2021-22, NCERT textbooks underwent a process of rationalization. This was a necessary step taken to lighten the content load, considering the well-being of students during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim was to create a curriculum that is more manageable and conducive to the mental health of students.

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NCERT in its official Twitter handle stated, "The rationalisation of NCERT textbooks done in 2021-22 was a need-based exercise aimed at reducing the content load, keeping in view the students mental health during the COVID pandemic and its aftermath".

"The rationalised textbooks are part of this transitional phase, i.e. this academic year 2023-24 only, as NCERT is engaged in the process of finalising the National Curricular Framework for School Education (NCF-SE) based on NEP 2020. This will be followed by the development of a new set of textbooks which will be used from the next academic year. So, this should be very clear that these books are not for a long time", NCERT further added.

Factual Statement on Rationalised #NCERT Textbooks. @EduMinOfIndia @niostwit @cbseindia29 @KVS_HQ @CommissionerNVS @ProfSaklani pic.twitter.com/eZV9YUq7cV

— NCERT (@ncert) June 4, 2023

Recently, NCERT has also removed the chemistry periodic table from the Class 9 science textbook. The move had mixed reactions, with some criticizing it as regressive, while others have shared links to the new book suggesting that the topic has been shifted to the Class 11 syllabus instead of being omitted entirely.

It is important to note that there are differing opinions on this matter, and further examination of the revised curriculum and syllabus would provide a clearer understanding of the changes made.