Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Right lessons: on the lack of professionalism in the NCERT’s deletions in textbooks

Right lessons: on the lack of professionalism in the NCERT’s deletions in textbooks

Wider, transparent consultations are needed in shaping the curriculum (पाठ्यक्रम)

The arbitrary (मनमाना) and surreptitious deletion of several portions from various textbooks by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) betrays (धोखा देना, प्रकट करना) bad faith (बेईमानी) and lack of professionalism (व्यावसायिकता) but, in the prevailing (प्रचलित, वर्तमान) political climate (जलवायु, माहौल), it is not entirely surprising. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has made the creation of a new knowledge ecosystem (पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र) across all fields central to (केंद्रीय से, अधिक महत्वपूर्ण) its politics. Among the key deletions, which the NCERT describes as rationalisation of syllabus, are references (संदर्भ, उल्लेख) to the dislike (नापसंदगी, घृणा) of Hindutva extremists (चरमपंथी, उग्रवादी) for Gandhi, a ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh after his assassination (हत्या, वध), entire chapters on the history of the Mughals, references to the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, the Naxalite movement (नक्सली आंदोलन), the Emergency and discussions on social movements (campaign, crusade, drive). History texts have been targeted in particular, and 250 historians from leading Indian and foreign universities have pointed out (identify, draw attention to, indicate, specify, mention) that those who prepared them through a process of consultation and wide-ranging (comprehensive, extensive, all-inclusive, broad-ranging) discussions were all kept in the dark. These changes are not limited to school textbooks. The UGC draft syllabus for bachelor-level history has also been altered, “leading to a plainly  (simply) prejudiced (bias, bigotry, intolerance, inequity) and irrational (absurd, pointless, unreasonable, illogical) perception (understanding, discernment, recognition/realization; interpretation) of our past”, according to the Indian History Congress (Founded in 1935, the Indian History Congress (IHC) is the largest association of professional historians in South Asia. It has about 35000 members of which over 2000 delegates participate in its session every year. Its main objective is to promote secular and scientific writing of history). The NCERT has sought to characterise (identify, depict, describe) its failure to be transparent (clear, straightforward, unequivocal, unambiguous; obvious, apparent, blatant, flagrant) as an “oversight (mistake, error, blunder, fault, lapse; carelessness, inattention, neglect, negligence)”, but remains firm (resolute, determined, decide, insistent, single-minded) on the revision.

Knowledge expands continuously, and syllabus revision is essential for a robust (strong, powerful) education system. What is taught to the younger generation is a collective decision of a society in which formal education is a critical part. The values and ethics (principle, standard, criterion, morality, ideology) of the collective (community, society, cooperative (by all people as a group)) are reflected (indicate, express, display, reveal, demonstrate) in education, which evolve (develop, progress, advance, mature) over time (gradually). In India, education has evolved with an aim to promote national integration (unification, consolidation, inclusion), critical thinking (the analysis of facts to form a judgment), and scientific temper. As any society matures, it might be able to process darker episodes (incident, event, occurrence) of the past with more equanimity (self-control, composure, calm). There is also the question of deciding the appropriate levels at which learners are introduced to various levels of knowledge. For all these reasons, textbooks and pedagogy (education, teaching, schooling) need to be revised periodically (occasionally, sometimes, at times, now and then). The trouble is when this exercise is carried out (perform, do, conduct, execute, implement) in a politically partisan (biased, prejudiced, one-sided) manner, and in disregard (inaction, inactivity, carelessness, inattention, apathy, negligence) of expertise (skill, knowledge, proficiency, competence). It turns out to be toxic (poisonous, dangerous, injurious) when strife (conflict, friction, discord, disagreement), not harmony, is promoted through formal education. India’s growth and development depends almost entirely on educating its bursting (passionate, excited) young population with vocational (relating to job or work & its related skills) and social skills and shaping youngsters into caring (kind-hearted, concerned, responsible, affectionate, sympathetic, compassionate, loving) citizens of a pluralistic (coexistent; (of people) exist in harmony irrespective of various differences) nation. They should learn history with the aim of not repeating its tragedies in order to build a harmonious (coordinated, balanced, proportional, compatible; agreeable, cooperative) future. There should be wider, more transparent consultations (discussion, dialogue, discourse, debate, negotiation, deliberation, parley) in shaping the curriculum at all levels.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.professionalism (noun)

Hindi Meaning - व्यावसायिकता
English Meaning - the behaviour, characteristics and skills that someone with a professional job is required to have; expertness, skillfulness, dedication, competence, probity, ethical behavior.

2.betray (verb)

Hindi Meaning - धोखा देना, प्रकट करना
English Meaning - reveal, expose, disclose, lay bare, make known.

3.curriculum (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पाठ्यक्रम
English Meaning - syllabus, course of studies, subjects. (curricula is the plural form of the curriculum).

4.arbitrary (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - मनमाना
English Meaning - capricious, personal (whim/choice), discretionary, random, erratic, unreasoned, illogical, irrational.

5.betray (verb)

Hindi Meaning - धोखा देना, प्रकट करना
English Meaning - reveal, expose, disclose, lay bare, make known.

6.bad faith (noun)

Hindi Meaning - बेईमानी
English Meaning - dishonest behaviour.

7.prevailing (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - प्रचलित, वर्तमान
English Meaning - current, existing, present, popular.

8.climate (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जलवायु, माहौल
English Meaning - atmosphere, condition, feeling, attitude.

9.ecosystem (noun)

Hindi Meaning - पारिस्थितिकी तंत्र
English Meaning - complex situation/environment.

10.central to (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - केंद्रीय से, अधिक महत्वपूर्ण
English Meaning - more important.

11.reference (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संदर्भ, उल्लेख
English Meaning - mention of, comment on, remark about, citation of.

12.dislike (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नापसंदगी, घृणा
English Meaning - aversion, antipathy, hostility, enmity, hatred, antagonism, revulsion, disgust.

13.extremist (noun)

Hindi Meaning - चरमपंथी, उग्रवादी
English Meaning - militant, radical, fanatic, hardliner.

14.assassination (noun)

Hindi Meaning - हत्या, वध
English Meaning - murder, killing.

15.Naxalite movement (noun)

Hindi Meaning - नक्सली आंदोलन
English Meaning - a social movement in India in the post-independence years. It is basically a revolutionary movement of peasants and labour-class people.

16.right (adjective)

English Meaning - supporting right-wing views; right-wing.

17.lack (noun)

English Meaning - absence, non-existence, unavailability.

18.National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) (noun)

English Meaning - an autonomous organisation set up in 1961 by the Government of India to assist and advise the Central and State Governments on policies and programmes for qualitative improvement in school education.

19.surreptitious (adjective)

English Meaning - secret, indirect, hidden.

20.rationalisation (noun)

English Meaning - systematisation, formalisation, rationale, justification.

21.The Emergency (noun)

English Meaning - In India, “The Emergency” refers to a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a state of emergency declared across the country. Officially issued by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Constitution because of the prevailing “internal disturbance”, the Emergency was in effect from 25 June 1975 until its withdrawal on 21 March 1977.

22.movement (noun)

English Meaning - campaign, crusade, drive.

23.point out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - identify, draw attention to, indicate, specify, mention.

24.wide-ranging (adjective)

English Meaning - comprehensive, extensive, all-inclusive, broad-ranging.

25.keep in the dark (phrase)

English Meaning - to fail to tell/inform something to someone; to keep secret or hidden; ignorant of, uninformed about.

26.University Grants Commission (UGC) (noun)

English Meaning - The University Grants Commission (UGC) came into existence on 28th December, 1953 and became a statutory Organization of the Government of India by an Act of Parliament in 1956, for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of teaching, examination and research in university education.

27.lead to (verb)

English Meaning - result in, cause, bring on, bring about, give rise to.

28.plainly (adjective)

English Meaning - simply.

29.prejudice (noun)

English Meaning - bias, bigotry, intolerance, inequity.

30.prejudiced (adjective)

English Meaning - unfair, biased, bigoted, partisan, one-sided, narrow-minded, intolerant, discriminatory.

31.irrational (adjective)

English Meaning - absurd, pointless, unreasonable, illogical.

32.perception (noun)

English Meaning - understanding, discernment, recognition/realization; interpretation.

33.Indian History Congress (noun)

English Meaning - Founded in 1935, the Indian History Congress (IHC) is the largest association of professional historians in South Asia. It has about 35000 members of which over 2000 delegates participate in its session every year. Its main objective is to promote secular and scientific writing of history.

34.sought past and past participle of seek (verb)

English Meaning - try, aim, attempt.

35.characterise (verb)

English Meaning - identify, depict, describe.

36.transparent (adjective)

English Meaning - clear, straightforward, unequivocal, unambiguous; obvious, apparent, blatant, flagrant.

37.oversight (noun)

English Meaning - mistake, error, blunder, fault, lapse; carelessness, inattention, neglect, negligence.

38.firm (adjective)

English Meaning - resolute, determined, decide, insistent, single-minded.

39.robust (adjective)

English Meaning - strong, powerful.

40.ethics (noun)

English Meaning - principle, standard, criterion, morality, ideology.

41.the collective (noun)

English Meaning - community, society, cooperative (by all people as a group).

42.reflect (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, express, display, reveal, demonstrate,

43.evolve (verb)

English Meaning - develop, progress, advance, mature.

44.over time (phrase)

English Meaning - gradually.

45.promote (verb)

English Meaning - encourage, advance, stimulate, support.

46.integration (noun)

English Meaning - unification, consolidation, inclusion.

47.critical thinking (noun)

English Meaning - the analysis of facts to form a judgment.

48.scientific temper (noun)

English Meaning - it refers to an individual’s attitude of logical and rational thinking. Jawaharlal Nehru in The Discovery of India, writes, “Scientific temper is a way of life — an individual and social process of thinking and acting which uses a scientific method which may include questioning, observing reality, testing, hypothesising, analysing and communicating.” Scientific temper can be viewed through two lenses — one of the traditional scientific community and the other of society as a whole.

49.episode (noun)

English Meaning - incident, event, occurrence.

50.equanimity (noun)

English Meaning - self-control, composure, calm.

51.pedagogy (noun)

English Meaning - education, teaching, schooling.

52.periodically (adverb)

English Meaning - occasionally, sometimes, at times, now and then.

53.carry out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - perform, do, conduct, execute, implement.

54.partisan (adjective)

English Meaning - biased, prejudiced, one-sided.

55.disregard (noun)

English Meaning - inaction, inactivity, carelessness, inattention, apathy, negligence.

56.expertise (noun)

English Meaning - skill, knowledge, proficiency, competence.

57.turn out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - appear, emerge, be present; transpire, happen, occur, come about.

58.toxic (adjective)

English Meaning - poisonous, dangerous, injurious.

59.strife (noun)

English Meaning - conflict, friction, discord, disagreement.

60.harmony (noun)

English Meaning - unity, solidarity, cooperation, agreement/concord.

61.bursting (adjective)

English Meaning - passionate, excited.

62.vocational (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to job or work & its related skills.

63.caring (adjective)

English Meaning - kind-hearted, concerned, responsible, affectionate, sympathetic, compassionate, loving.

64.pluralistic (adjective)

English Meaning - coexistent; (of people) exist in harmony irrespective of various differences.

65.harmonious (adjective)

English Meaning - coordinated, balanced, proportional, compatible; agreeable, cooperative.

66.consultation (noun)

English Meaning - discussion, dialogue, discourse, debate, negotiation, deliberation, parley.