'BJP Wants to Rewrite History': Oppn Lashes Out at Centre, CBSE Over Decision to Drop Syllabus Topics

The opposition on Wednesday lashed out at the ruling BJP over CBSE's decision to drop certain topics from its syllabus.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the CBSE should explain the rationale behind dropping certain chapters from the school curriculum, asserting that the board must have had "very strong" reasons behind the move.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Tuesday had notified that it rationalised by up to 30 percent the syllabus for classes 9 to 12 for the academic year 2020-21 to reduce course load on students amid the COVID-19 crisis.

The Human Resource Development Ministry maintains that the curriculum has been rationalised while retaining core elements.

The board in its syllabus rationalisation exercise has dropped chapters on democracy and diversity, demonetisation, nationalism, secularism, India's relations with its neighbours and growth of local governments in India, among others, as per the updated syllabus.

"The Delhi Government has always been a votary of syllabus reduction and I have said so on several occasions as a large syllabus does not mean more learning. I support the CBSE's decision to reduce the syllabus for the academic session 2020-21 in the secondary and senior secondary grades but I have reservations and concerns over the manner and content of the syllabus reduction exercise," Sisodia said.

The NCP also attacked the CBSE's move, saying the ruling BJP wants to do away with democracy and secularism.

NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said, "The BJP's agenda is very clear, they want to do away with democracy and secularism, hence the best way is not to teach it to the young. In the days to come, the BJP may even rewrite history in a different way and add it to the syllabus," said Tapase.

Opposition and Loktantrik Janata Dal leader Sharad Yadav also criticised the Board's move, alleging the Centre is taking a "unilateral and undemocratic step".

"As per media reports, the government has decided to delete some important chapters in the garb of reduction of 30 per cent course in the syllabus for students for the academic year 2020-21 in view of the coronavirus crisis. It is a unilateral and undemocratic step. I would say that this is a step towards finishing the democracy in the country," he alleged in a statement.