Parliament Question: Patriots and revolutionaries in textbooks

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION & LITERACY RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2929 ANSWERED ON 18.03.2026 Patriots and revolutionaries in textbooks 2929 # Shri Govindbhai Laljibhai Dholakia: Will the Minister of Education be pleased to state: (a) whether it is a fact that the contributions of many great patriots, revolutionaries and warriors of the country during Medieval India and the period of British rule have not been accorded due place in history textbooks by historians, as a result of which the Indian populace have not been adequately informed about its rich heritage and several great heroes; and (b) whether the Ministry has undertaken any special initiatives to rectify this lapses in history writing and to ensure adequate representation of the contributions of these great National heroes in history textbooks and mainstream discourse? ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY) (a) and (b): The National Education Policy (NEP), 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF-SE), 2023 focus on inclusion of Indian patriots and revolutionaries who have contributed at different points of time. The policy documents emphasize on building a strong sense of pride in India’s cultural heritage with a focus on the contributions made by known and lesser known in different fields. In order to translate the philosophy of NEP 2020 and NCF-SE 2023, in practice Curricular Area Groups have been constituted in different subjects’ area. Additionally, Textbook Development Committee (TDT) have also been constituted for development of syllabus and textbooks. The National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) brought out Social Science textbooks based on the NEP 2020 and NCF-SE 2023. The textbook of social sciences has followed a thematic approach. The themes that form part of Grade-6 to 8 textbooks are India and The World: Land and The People, Tapestry of the Past, Governance and Democracy and Economic Life Around Us. These themes have mentioned personalities who have contributed, as per the chapters in progression. *****