- West Bengal proposes curriculum revisions for language, history, literature.
- Revised history reduces Mughal rule, adds archaeology, removes Marxism.
- Textbooks also remove Singur, Kanyashree, alter literary works.
- Chief Minister eyes mobile phone ban, reintroducing pass-fail system.
Bengali-language textbooks in West Bengal government schools may undergo significant changes, with a curriculum review committee recommending revisions to language, history and literature lessons. The proposals include replacing certain words in Bengali textbooks, incorporating the life of Hindu nationalist leader Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, and reducing portions on Mughal rule, British colonial history and Marxist ideology.
The committee, headed by Professor Debashis Chatterjee of Kalyani University, has proposed replacing words such as “pani”, “abba” and “ammi” with “jal”, “baba” and “maa”, respectively. According to Chatterjee, the words being removed are not commonly used in everyday Bengali conversation.
The proposed revisions also include incorporating archaeological discoveries from Sinauli in Uttar Pradesh and Rakhigarhi in Haryana into history textbooks. The committee aims to have the first edition of the revised textbooks ready by January 2027.
No Major Syllabus Changes Due To Time Constraints
Professor Debashis Chatterjee said the committee had limited time to prepare the revised textbooks. As a result, it focused on necessary amendments, improvements and corrections rather than undertaking a major overhaul of the curriculum.
He explained that the textbooks had to be made available by January 2, with more than 120 million books to be published. Given the short timeline and the scale of publication, comprehensive changes to the syllabus were not possible at this stage.
The committee said the deadline and the requirement to publish a large number of books were taken into account while finalising the proposed revisions.
Sinauli, Rakhigarhi Discoveries To Feature In History Textbooks
The revised history textbooks are expected to incorporate archaeological findings from Sinauli in Uttar Pradesh and Rakhigarhi in Haryana. Discoveries at these sites have been cited in debates questioning established theories about the arrival of the Aryans in India.
Chatterjee said students had been taught that the Aryans brought civilisation to India and introduced chariots and horses. He added that recent excavations at Sinauli and Rakhigarhi had uncovered evidence challenging this theory.
According to the committee head, these findings will be incorporated into the revised history textbooks.
Mughal History, British Rule And Marxism To Get Less Coverage
A senior committee official said portions dealing with Mughal rule, British colonial history in India and Marxism had been reduced in the history textbooks.
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The revisions also cover literature. Rabindranath Tagore’s poem “Shivaji Utsav” and Dwijendralal Roy’s play “Mewar Patan” have been included in the textbooks. However, a play based on Siraj-ud-Daula has been removed from the curriculum.
Tagore’s poem “Africa” has also been excluded from the revised textbooks.
Singur Movement, Kanyashree Scheme To Be Removed
The proposed revisions will also affect topics introduced into school textbooks during the previous Mamata Banerjee government.
Chapters on the Singur movement against land acquisition had been included in history textbooks during her tenure. The Kanyashree scheme, which provides financial assistance to schoolgirls, was also prominently featured in the curriculum.
Both topics are now set to be removed under the new curriculum review proposals.
Mobile Phone Ban, Pass-Fail System Under Consideration
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on October 25 that the state government was planning changes to the school education system. At the time, he said the government had not yet received the final report of the Curriculum and Syllabus Review Committee.
Adhikari also indicated that the government could consider banning mobile phone use in schools, ending the no-detention policy and reintroducing the National Cadet Corps (NCC) scheme.
He told reporters that he personally favoured banning mobile phones in schools and bringing back the pass-fail system. He also said the National Cadet Corps (NCC), National Service Scheme (NSS) and Vratchari programmes should be reintroduced as co-curricular activities.
The proposed textbook revisions and possible changes to school policies could reshape language and history education, alongside co-curricular activities, in West Bengal’s government schools.
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