NCERT textbooks to have chapters on GST, demonetisation

The textbooks, published by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for schools, will have chapters on the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and demonetisation enforced by the Narendra Modi government.

Contents from two volumes of a supplementary textbook, published by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on India's knowledge traditions and practices for senior secondary school students, may also be incorporated in existing chapters of various subjects.

The NCERT is conducting an extensive review of its textbooks for “rectification of factual errors, if any,” in them. The exercise is also aimed at updating the contents of the textbooks with new facts and information.

“The Council has decided to incorporate the contents relating to GST and demonetisation in existing chapters of various subjects, such as Economics, Business Studies, Accountancy and Political Science at different stages, while bringing out the reprint editions of their textbooks for the academic year 2018-19,” an official said.

The Council has begun updating its textbooks on the instructions of the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry. Before beginning the exercise, the Council invited suggestions from the stakeholders including students, teachers and parents last month.

“We have received a tremendous response from the stakeholders. More than 9000 suggestions have come. We are looking into them,” the official told DH.

The HRD Ministry has directed the CBSE recently to stop publishing textbooks and other reading materials for the school students to leave the job on the NCERT.

The CBSE published several textbooks including a supplementary reading material titled as 'Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India,” for classes XI and XII during the erstwhile regime of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

The 'Knowledge Traditions and Practices of India', published in two volumes by the CBSE, has several modules covering a range of topics from science, technology and astronomy to Ayurveda and Indian ethics on ancient knowledge traditions and practices in India.

“There are suggestions to incorporate the contents of this book into the NCERT textbooks of various subjects for the updated editions,” official sources told DH.