Speakers at the seminar organised by the All India Professionals’ Congress (AIPC) examine how ‘deliberate alterations’ in NCERT textbooks were shaping an “us versus them” mindset among young learners
HYDERABAD — Prominent academicians and historians have raised serious concerns over the growing distortion of history in school textbooks, warning that politically motivated changes pose a threat to India’s secular fabric, democratic ethos and intellectual development of students.
They were speaking at a seminar organised by the All India Professionals’ Congress (AIPC) Academia Vertical here on Sunday.
Speakers at the discussion under the title “Distortion of History in Textbooks and Its Implications” examined how “deliberate alterations” in the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks were shaping an “us versus them” mindset among young learners.
The event was moderated by Maria Tabassum, deputy state head for academia, AIPC Telangana. The event featured Prof Ram Puniyani, author and former IIT Bombay professor, Akunuri Murali, chairperson of the Telangana Education Commission; Prof Padmaja Shaw, retired professor of journalism, Osmania University; and Dr Kanchan, national head of the AIPC Academia Vertical.
Prof Puniyani said there was a systematic removal of pluralistic and secular narratives and warned that such omissions erode India’s inclusive legacy.
Chairperson of the Telangana Education Commission Murali stressed that curriculum manipulation serves political interests rather than educational integrity.
Prof Shaw questioned media’s role in legitimising distorted versions of history while Dr Kanchan cautioned that the ongoing changes to the syllabus in schools and colleges undermined academic freedom and urged educators to defend fact-based learning.
Panelists cited examples of omissions and biased portrayals in NCERT revisions, calling for transparent and inclusive curriculum reform.
The seminar emphasised the need for accurate historical representation in textbooks to foster critical thinking and informed citizenship among students. The distortion of history in textbooks has been linked to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) attempts to push its Hindu nationalist agenda, which critics argue undermines India’s diversity and inclusivity.
