Delhi DyCM asks CBSE to give 'very strong' reasons for dropping chapters from curriculum

Opposing CBSE's move to cut chapters like federalism, gender, etc from Class 9 to 12,  Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia has said that CBSE should explain 'very strong' reasons behind the move. However, the Delhi minister who holds the education portfolio added, "I am hopeful that the CBSE must have very good reasons for dropping those topics."

Sisodia was quoted saying by news agency PTI, "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".

Joining leaders like Mamata Banerjee and others from Congress in raising an objection to the move by CBSE, Sisodia opined that Social science is one discipline where there is "maximum slope of controversy and agree that no matter which topics are chosen or left out, the questions are bound to be raised. Hence the board should have been careful and explain its rationale for dropping certain topics", he said.

READ | 'We object this:' Mamata Banerjee against CBSE's removal of 'vital lessons' from syllabus

CBSE cuts syllabus by 30%

In order to reduce the course load, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) notified the new syllabus for classes 9 to 12 for the 2020-21 academic session on Wednesday after rationalising up to 30 per cent of the curriculum. According to the updated curriculum, the chapters deleted from the Class 10 syllabus are those dealing with democracy and diversity, gender, religion and caste, popular struggles and movement and challenges to democracy.

For Class 11, the deleted portions include the chapters on federalism, citizenship, nationalism, secularism and growth of local governments in India. Similarly, Class 12 students will not be required to study the chapters on India's relations with its neighbours -- Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, the changing nature of India's economic development, social movements in India and demonetisation, among others.

READ | Post row, CBSE says revised syllabus being 'interpreted differently'; clarifies stand

CBSE issues clarification 

However, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Wednesday clarified that "each of the topics that have been wrongly mentioned in media as deleted have been covered under the alternative academic calendar of NCERT." In a statement, the board also said that rationalization has been "interpreted differently". 

"The schools have also been directed to follow the Alternative Academic Calendar prepared by NCERT for transacting the curriculum. Therefore, each of the topics that have been wrongly mentioned in media as deleted has been covered under Alternative Academic Calendar of NCERT which is already in force for all the affiliated schools of the Board," the official statement by the CBSE read.

READ | CBSE revised curriculum for 2020-21: Up to 30% syllabus rationalized for Class 9-12

READ | CBSE drops Nationalism, citizenship & demonetisation chapters in revised syllabus due to Covid