No more Pythagoras, Fibonacci, Pascal, only Baudhayana, Virahanka, and Pingala as school texts get Indian makeover

Pythagorean theorem, Fibonacci numbers, and Pascal’s triangle might not find a place in the proposed revised curriculum. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2019 proposed that Baudhayana, Virahanka, and Pingala, respectively were the ones who discovered the theories first in "very artistic and fascinating ways".

The government wants to bring back India's 'illustrious' heritage of 'holistic' education. The NEP 2019 said that education in ancient India was not just the acquisition of knowledge, "as preparation for life in this world or for life beyond schooling, but for complete realisation and liberation of the self". Recounting Aryabhatta's discovery of 'zero', the policy draft stated, "The negative numbers — and the algebraic rules governing zero and negative numbers — were first introduced and used by Brahmagupta in Rajasthan, while the seeds of calculus were first laid down by Bhaskara II and Madhava in Karnataka and Kerala, respectively — among numerous other such fundamental contributions throughout mathematics and other fields. Such basic historical facts are not currently taught in India — perhaps a remnant of an earlier colonial time." 

The policy was formed by an 11-member team, which was headed by the former ISRO Chairman K Kasturirangan. It was submitted to the new HRD Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on Friday, a few hours after he took charge. The committee was constituted in June 2017. The policy that is said to be inspired by India's heritage, presents 'A vision for the education system in India'.