NCERT Removed Preamble From Classes 3rd and 6th Textbooks

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has removed the preamble from the textbooks of classes 3rd and 6th this year. The preamble has been removed from textbooks covering “core academic subjects”, including languages ​​and environmental studies (EVS).

The NCERT is now rationalising textbooks launched in years between 2005-6 and 2007-8 for all classes after introducing the latest National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 into the textbooks. The NCERT has already published the books for classes 3rd and 6th based on the new National Curriculum Framework.

After listening to all the allegations raised against the removal of the preamble from the NCERT textbooks, NCERT said, “For the first time they are giving great importance to various facets of the Indian Constitution- Preamble, Fundamental Duties, Fundamental Rights and the National Anthem. All the aspects of the Indian Constitution are being placed in various textbooks of various stages”

• All New 3rd Class Textbooks do not Include a Preamble While Some 6th Class Textbooks Include

All newly released textbooks of class 3rd including Hindi, English, mathematics and World Around Us (which replaces EVS) have been printed without a preamble. Old books such as EVS, Looking Around, and Hindi books, Rimjhim 3, had preamble into it.

If we talk about class 6th old textbooks, the preamble was usually printed in the first few pages of the Hindi textbook Durva, the English book Honey Suckle, the science book and three EVS books — Our Pasts-I, Social and Political Life-I and The Earth Our Habitat. Whereas in newly released textbooks, the preamble is only printed in the Science textbook “Curiosity” and the Hindi textbook “Malhar.” Earlier environmental studies as a subject was divided into three different textbooks but now NCERT has made a single book titled “Exploring Society: India and Beyond,”, this time the book does mention a preamble but consists of fundamental rights and duties.

• Fundamental Duties, Rights and National Anthem Considered Equally Important as Preamble

As per the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), students are not just limited to the knowledge of the preamble, they must also gain knowledge of constitutional values from Fundamental Duties, Fundamental Rights and the National Anthem.

Hence NCERT said, “The understanding that only the Preamble reflects the Constitution and Constitutional Values is flawed and narrow. Why should children not acquire Constitutional Values from Fundamental Duties, Fundamental Rights and the National Anthem along with the Preamble? We give equal importance to all of these for the holistic development of children following the vision of NEP – 2020”