Historians warn textbook distortion threatens India’s secular fabric
Scholars link NCERT changes to BJP’s bid to impose Hindutva narrative
Hyderabad: Prominent academicians and historians have expressed grave concern over the growing distortion of history in Indian school textbooks, warning that politically motivated changes are endangering the country’s secular ethos and democratic values.
According to Kashmir Media Service, addressing a seminar titled “Distortion of History in Textbooks and Its Implications,” organised by the All India Professionals’ Congress (AIPC) Academia Vertical in Hyderabad, the speakers said that deliberate alterations in the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks were fostering an “us versus them” mindset among young learners.
The seminar was moderated by Maria Tabassum, Deputy State Head for Academia, AIPC Telangana, and featured Prof Ram Puniyani, noted author and former IIT Bombay professor; Akunuri Murali, Chairperson of the Telangana Education Commission; Prof Padmaja Shaw, retired professor of journalism at Osmania University; and Dr Kanchan, national head of the AIPC Academia Vertical.
Prof Puniyani said there was a systematic removal of secular and pluralistic narratives from textbooks, which he warned would erode India’s inclusive heritage. Murali added that such manipulation of curriculum served political interests rather than educational integrity.
Prof Shaw criticised sections of the Indian media for legitimising distorted versions of history, while Dr Kanchan cautioned that ongoing syllabus changes in schools and colleges undermined academic freedom and the spirit of inquiry.
The speakers cited examples of omissions and biased portrayals in NCERT’s recent revisions, calling for transparent and inclusive curriculum reforms. They stressed that history teaching must promote critical thinking and informed citizenship rather than ideological conformity.
Observers link the distortion of historical facts to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government’s broader agenda of imposing its Hindutva ideology, which critics say undermines India’s diversity and weakens its secular fabric.
