In response to a query on the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 in Kerala, General Education Minister V Sivankutty said that it was the only state in India to compile all the portions avoided by the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) from school textbooks and create a new textbook for students to study and appear for exams.
He asserted that the government took such a stand in accordance with Kerala's exemplary educational background, as per a report by PTI. The minister said that NCERT had removed portions, including the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, the Mughal rule in India, parts of the Indian freedom struggle and some communal riots, from the textbooks of Classes XI and XII.
"So, we compiled all the deleted portions and created a new textbook. It is not a mere textbook, but a syllabus which students can study and take exams on," he added. These supplementary textbooks were released by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in August. While releasing the books, he had strongly criticised the NCERT for its omission and said that the move was with the political intention of creating a society rooted in hatred and animosity.
Speaking further about the NEP 2020, Sivankutty said that the policy has not been completely accepted in the country, as Tamil Nadu has rejected it in its entirety and Karnataka has only agreed to implement some portions of it, as per PTI.
