An RTI activist has sent a legal notice to the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) and sought to make amendments in the book after the NCERT said that they had no references to the claims in 12th standard books that Mughal emperor Aurangzeb gave grant for repairs of temples.
#NewsAlert | Activist from Bharatpur sends a legal notice to NCERT over the content on Aurangzeb in its 12th-grade history books. Earlier, the activist had asked the facts on the basis of which it has written Mughal leaders gave grants for repair of temples
— TIMES NOW (@TimesNow) March 4, 2021
Details by Arvind. pic.twitter.com/2ReY1kSqgF
As per the reports, RTI activist from Bharatpur Dapinder Singh has sought to make amendments in the books taught to school children as the information mentioned in the book is not based on facts. Singh feels that without any evidence Mughal rulers like Aurangzeb and Shah Jahan are portrayed as great in school history books. History books should be based on facts and if information is put about things there is no evidence for, it distorts history.
In January, an RTI application was made to seek evidence on the claims made on Mughal ruler giving grants for repair work of temples. On page 234 of the history textbook, it says, “All Mughal emperors gave grants to support the building and maintenance of places of worship. Even when temples were destroyed during war, grants were later issued for their repair – as we know from the reigns of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb.”
The petitioner had sought two details regarding the claim. First, the source from which NCERT concluded that Mughals had issued grants for rebuilding temples destroyed in war during the regime of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, and second, the number of temples repaired by Aurangzeb and Shah Jahan. The reply to both the queries were “The information is not available on the files of the Department”. The reply was furnished by professor Gouri Srivastava, head of the Department of Education in Social Sciences and also the Public Information Officer.
NBT report says that another RTI activist Sanjiv Vakil said that students are taught history based on imagination. “NCERT books are considered benchmark for educational books. They are also used for preparation of civil service and other competitive examinations. The future generation is being pushed into wrong direction and it could lead to disastrous results,” he was quoted saying.
