Schools should follow only NCERT and SCERT textbooks: NCPCR tells states

The National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), an autonomous body on child rights under the union government, has written to all states asking them to ensure that schools only follow the curriculum and textbooks prescribed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) and the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

NCERT is an autonomous body under the Education Ministry that advises the union government on school education and assessment. Each state has an SCERT, established on the lines of NCERT, which functions as an apex body in the academic matters of the state.

NCPCR's letter is significant as it comes after the new NCERT textbooks with rationalized content hit the market. NCERT has removed portions on Mughals, Mahatma Gandhi, his assassin Nathuram Godse, references to Hindu extremists, and the 2002 Gujarat riots from school textbooks as part of the rationalization exercise. These changes have evoked strong reactions from political parties and academicians.

In a letter addressed to all state education secretaries, dated April 13, NCPCR reminded the states that as per section



29(1) of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009, schools should only follow the curriculum and evaluation procedure laid down by the notified academic authority, which in this case is NCERT and SCERT.

NCERT and SCERT are the nodal organizations for textbook writing as per the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005 and the right of a child under Section 29(1) of the RTE Act. Therefore, any State/Central Board that follows a curriculum, syllabus, textbooks, and evaluation procedure for elementary classes other than that prescribed by NCERT or respective SCERT is in violation of the RTE Act, 2009.

The Commission also cited CBSE's example of falling in line with the provisions of the RTE Act. In September 2017, the Commission ordered CBSE to either get its new uniform system of assessment approved and validated by NCERT or revoke it immediately as it violated the guidelines laid down under the RTE Act. Consequently, CBSE repealed the system for classes VI-VIII vide notification dated 22.01.2018. As a result, all schools affiliated to CBSE, including private schools and schools under Central Government such as KVs, INVs, etc., will follow the curriculum prescribed by NCERT.