The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has constituted a panel of senior experts to review select school textbooks following feedback from stakeholders regarding alleged historical inaccuracies and exclusions.
This decision follows mounting criticism from historians and public figures over the portrayal of events and regions in newly revised textbooks. Among the objections raised is the depiction of Jaisalmer as part of the Maratha Empire in the Class 8 Social Science textbook, according to sources quoted by ANI. Concerns have also been voiced over the alleged misrepresentation of Ahom history and the exclusion of the 1817 Paika Rebellion from the curriculum.
In a statement issued on Thursday, NCERT said, "This committee will examine the feedback in light of the available evidence and submit its report as soon as possible."
NCERT further clarified that reviewing content based on feedback is part of its ongoing academic process. "It is a well-established practice that whenever substantial feedback or suggestions are received regarding the content or pedagogy of a textbook, a committee comprising domain experts is constituted to carefully deliberate on the matter and recommend appropriate actions," the statement said.
According to news agency ANI, Chaitanya Raj Singh, a descendant of Jaisalmer's former royal family, expressed strong objection to the textbook's claim that Jaisalmer was part of the Maratha Empire. Calling the depiction "historically misleading and factually baseless," Singh urged Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to "correct" what he termed "erroneous, malicious, and agenda-driven content."
Earlier, former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also voiced disappointment over the omission of the Paika Rebellion.
Calling the 1817 uprising a "watershed moment in Odisha's history," Patnaik said the move undermines the sacrifices of the Paikas, who revolted against British rule nearly four decades before the 1857 Sepoy Mutiny.
"I had urged the Government of India several times to declare it as the first war of Independence. The omission of the epic rebellion from NCERT textbooks is a huge dishonour to our brave Paikas, 200 years after the rebellion," Patnaik said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He urged Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to ensure justice is done to the Paika Bidroha and to the people of Odisha.
The NCERT is currently rolling out updated textbooks as part of a curriculum revision aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Textbooks for Classes 1 to 8 have already been released, while those for Classes 9 to 12 are expected to be published by the end of the year.