Beyond pages into Politics

Written by Laavanyaa Edited by Apeksha Illustrated by Shravan Bakkiyaraj __________________________________________________________________________________

Political Ideologies have a profound impact on the education curriculum of India and are a complex and diverse issue. The interplay between various political parties, educational institutions, and regulatory bodies is what constitutes the structure of the curriculum. Different political parties when in power have different ideologies and priorities and promote those in their educational agendas all over the country in schools and universities. This form of political influence is most prominently seen in changes to history textbooks. 

It has been noticed that over the years National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks have undergone certain revisions that directly or indirectly reflect alignment with the ideological leaning of the parties that are in power. For example, the BJP-led government initiated a revision of NCERT textbooks in 2017. In their revised version they included more information and modules on the Indian knowledge systems and also made an attempt to highlight and glorify the role of great Hindu kings and leaders. Critics have long argued that these revisions lead to a distorted understanding and representation of our history.

Conversely, governments led by the Indian National Congress (INC) have also been accused by the opposition of overemphasizing and exalting the role of the Nehru-Gandhi family in India's struggle to freedom and also post-independence development of India, more so undermining the efforts of the other prominent leaders.

Not only revising but political parties have introduced new subjects and themes into the curriculum. The concept of "Value Education" was introduced to instill moral values among students,which a few critics argue that in some way acts as an instrument for promoting certain cultural and moral values and ideologies.

History textbooks and curriculums are undergoing a  critical change during the rule of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The policymakers faced a lot of criticism for this move, being accused of promoting a Hindu nationalist perspective, as it emphasized the greatness of Hindu rulers by downplaying the contribution of others.

The political influence is not limited to only the central governments. State governments have significant if not complete autonomy over education and are also often found to implement changes that push their ideologies in regards to their cultural, historical and religious values. For example, the West Bengal government, led by the Trinamool Congress, revised the history curriculum to include more content on local heroes and regional history, aiming to foster state pride and identity.

Whether it be the introduction of new subjects or the emphasis on particular cultural or ideological perspectives it is a rather lengthy debate as to whether this influence is positive or negative. 

How these changes impact the students and society as a whole is still a matter of ardent debate.  While one view is that the revision of curriculum will help provide a more comprehensive and balanced perspective of the cultural and historical landscape of the country, others feel that such changes will result in a politically charged education system, shrouded by bias and propaganda. 

This is what the current discourse highlights – that the education system in our country is beginning to become a tool for political and ideological propaganda. The essence of the debate is to bring to light the importance of education to foster critical thinking and pluralism amongst students. 

To conclude, we can say that the way the political atmosphere continues to influence the education system in our country is a testament to the importance of education in shaping a society. This also shows us that with the continuous evolution of society, an equilibrium must be found between the ability to ensure unbiased education while also imparting a feeling of national identity. As such, it seems like this is going to be a perpetual challenge for policymakers and educators alike.

#politics #education system #indian education #ncert