Mainstream Weekly

NCERT's Political Science Textbooks

Arjun Dev — 2012-08-17T10:16:10Z

The author's article 'NCERT's Political Science Textbooks Controversy: Cartoon-centred Pedagogy' appeared in Mainstream (July 28, 2012). The following article is a continuation of the previous one.
There are six textbooks in Political Science for Classes IX to XII, two for Classes IX-X and four for Classes XI-XII. Each of these textbooks has been prepared by, or under the auspices of, a Textbook Development Committee, one for each book, but all of them have a common Chairperson of the (…)

- 2012

NCERT's Political Science Textbooks Controversy: Cartoon-centred Pedagogy

Arjun Dev — 2012-07-31T17:36:21Z

The NCERT brought out a series of textbooks in Political Science, as in other subjects, based on syllabi which were formulated after the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF-2005) developed by it was adopted. There was ample justification for preparing a new national curriculum framework as the NDA Government, which had converted the NCERT into an instrument of communalisation of school education (through, among others, its NCFSE-2000) was thrown out of office in 2004.
The (…)

- 2012

Whither NMML?

Arjun Dev, Bipan Chandra, Satish Chandra — 2011-05-03T11:08:35Z

It is a matter of concern and disquiet that despite widespread protests the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) governors (Karan Singh is the current Chairman of its Executive Council) are pushing through changes in the institution in a manner that could harm it irrevocably. While it takes vision to build an institution, careless handling and failure to maintain essential norms can lead to rapid decline.
Founded in the mid-1960s as the national memorial to Jawaharlal Nehru, it is (…)

- 2011