History Textbooks In Jammu & Kashmir Schools To Be Revised

In a significant move, the Union Human Resources Development Ministry has directed the NCERT to “revise” the curriculum followed in schools in Jammu and Kashmir after its recent re-organisation that saw the conversion of the hilly state into a Union Territory.

The revision will be carried out by the national educational council along with the J&K Board of School Education with focus on social science subjects, which NCERT sources said would mainly be history.
At present, the national curriculum framework is followed in J&K and there is no separate curriculum in the erstwhile state.

“Consequent to creation of the new Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh, the curriculum particularly with reference to social sciences would need to be revised,” said a document, seen by this newspaper, detailing the work being done by the ministry.

NCERT officials confirmed that they have already begun consultations on what changes should be “incorporated” in the textbooks taught in J&K schools and hinted most of them could be in history. “We have begun the process and should be able to mark the areas where the changes are needed in a few months,” an NCERT official said.

J&K’s accession to India has been a subject of controversy ever since Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession to India on October 26, 1947. Many historians claim the Maharaja had wanted to remain independent of India and Pakistan after independence.