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

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Wednesday clarified that all the bruhaha created around the rationalization of syllabus from class 9 to 12 is unwarranted, asserting that "each of the topics that have been wrongly mentioned in media as deleted have been covered under the alternative academic calendar of NCERT."

The CBSE issued the statement after a controversy broke after key chapters like Democratic Rights, Food Security in India, Federalism, Citizenship, and Secularism were dropped from school courses to reduce the burden on students as the Coronavirus pandemic and subsequent preventive measures disrupted the functioning of schools.

The board said that the rationalization has been "interpreted differently". It had on Tuesday said that the syllabus for 2020-21 would be reduced by 30% owing to "extraordinary situation".

The board today also clarified that no question will be asked from the rationalized syllabus in the Board Exams 20-21 only.

"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 have 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.

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The Board reiterated that the topics being mentioned "as dropped are either being covered by the rationalized syllabus or in the Alternative Academic Calendar of NCERT".

This move by the CBSE enthralled massive flak from all quarters of the Opposition, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who took to Twitter and urged the HRD ministry to reinstate all the crucial matter rationilsed by the board.

Some of the chapters removed from the syllabus included secularism, nationalism, federalism, demonetisation, GST, India's foreign relations with neighbouring countries, and citizenship in a bid to make up for the academic loss that happened due to the COVID-enforced shutdown. 

Speaking on the issue, the Union Human Resource Development Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank', on Tuesday took to Twitter and had said, "Looking at the extraordinary situation prevailing in the country and the world, CBSE was advised to revise the curriculum and reduce the course load for the students of classes 9 to 12. Considering the importance of learning achievement, it has been decided to rationalise syllabus up to 30% by retaining the core concepts."

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