Lok Sabha Question No. 3351 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-16
Subject: Rationale behind Curriculum Revision
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Smt. Pratima Mondal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-3351

ANSWERED ON-16/12/2024

## RATIONALE BEHIND CURRICULUM REVISION

3351. Smt. Pratima Mondal:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government to address the underinvestment in public education, given that expenditure remains far below the 6% GDP target set by the National Education Policy 2020;
- (b) the rationale behind curriculum revisions that reportedly erase significant historical events and contributions of minorities and the manner in which these changes align with the principles of inclusivity and diversity in education; and
- (c) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to ensure that religious freedom and the Right to Education are not compromised in the light of controversies such as the Hijab Ban in Karnataka?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR )

- (a)  National  Education  Policy  2020  (NEP  2020)  unequivocally  endorses  and  envisions  a substantial increase in public investment in education by both the Central Government and all State Governments to reach 6% of GDP. As far as Ministry of Education is concerned, there has been increase in budget allocation from Rs. 93,224 crore (2021-22) to Rs.1,21,118 crore (2024-25), which is around 30% increase. As per latest 'Analysis of Budgeted Expenditure on Education  2019-20  to  2021-22',  total  expenditure  on  education  (including  all  Central Ministries and all States/UTs) as percentage of GDP stands at 4.12% (for the year 2021-22).
- (b) & (c) Education is a subject in the Concurrent List of the Constitution and schools, other than those established, owned or controlled by the Central Government, or the administrator of the Union territory, having no legislature, are under the jurisdiction of the State Governments. Thus, the concerned State Government is the appropriate Government for the implementation of Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 in that State.

The rationale behind rationalisation of content of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks was Covid-19 Pandemic Situation, in which students across the stages of schools education had struggled a lot to continue their learning though online and other  modes.  Consequently,  learning  of  children  got  affected  and  time  loss  took  place. Concerns related to curriculum and content load across syllabi and textbooks had been raised by different stakeholders. Conducting discussions with external experts following criteria for rationalization of the content was finalized by the NCERT:

- Overlapping with similar content included in other subject areas in the same class
- Similar content included in the lower or higher class in the same subject
- Difficulty level
- Content,  which  is  easily  accessible  to  students  without  much  interventions  from teachers and can be learned by children through self-learning or peer-learning
- Content, which is irrelevant in the present context.

While rationalising the content learning outcomes including including inclusivity and diversity were not compromised.

The NEP 2020 brought out by the Govt. of India clearly states on its page no. 10-: One of the primary goals of schooling system must be to ensure that children are enrolled in and are attending  school.  Through  initiatives  such  as  Sarva  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (now  the  Samagra Shiksha) and Right to Education Act, India has made remarkable strides in recent years in attaining near universal enrolment in elementary education.

It further states that a concerted national effort will be made to ensure universal access and  afford  opportunity  to  all  children  of  the  country  to  obtain  quality  holistic  educationincluding vocational education - from pre-school to Grade 12.

As per Rule 9(3) of the  RTE Rules, 2010, the appropriate Government or the local authority shall ensure that no child is subjected to caste, class, religious or gender abuse in the school.

*****