NCERT textbook revives debatable theory on Sengol handed to Nehru
The new Class 9 social science book links the Sengol and institutional mottos to ancient texts, reigniting criticism of contested historical claims.
- Released on Tuesday, the new NCERT Class 9 social science textbook 'Understanding Society and Beyond- Part 2' incorporates the BJP government's claim regarding the Sengol sceptre and links modern institutional mottos to ancient Indian texts.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed the Sengol in the new Parliament building in 2023, with the textbook describing the sceptre as a 'cultural marker of rulership' that marked the 1947 transfer of power.
- The textbook states that India adopted the national motto 'Satyamev Jayate' from the Mundaka Upanishad and the Supreme Court motto 'Yato Dharmastato Jayah' from the Mahabharata, linking governance to 'sacred responsibility.'
- Historian Rajmohan Gandhi and other experts have challenged the government's Sengol narrative, stating there is no record of the sceptre serving as a formal symbol of the 'transfer of power' in 1947.
- The curriculum change, part of the wider transition under NEP 2020, features chapters on 'Resistance and Resilience' detailing traditional governance concepts like Ram Rajya and divine sword-granting myths used to resist invasions since the 7th century.
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11 Articles
Upanishads to Mahabharata: NCERT explains roots of national, SC mottos
The NCERT has introduced a groundbreaking Class IX social science textbook that bridges modern principles of governance with ancient Indian wisdom. By drawing connections between India's national motto, values upheld by the Supreme Court, and revered texts like the Mahabharata, this textbook advocates for key governance themes such as accountability, inclusiveness, and transparency. These concepts underline the need for various societal roles in…
NCERT textbook traces modern Indian mottos to ancient texts
New Delhi: The new class 9 social science textbook links mottos of several modern Indian institutions, such as ‘Satyamev Jayate’ and ‘Yato Dharmastato Jayah’, to the Upanishads, the Mahabharata and other texts. The NCERT book, ‘Understanding Society India and Beyond-Part 2’, was released on Tuesday, September 29, six months after the new academic session began. … Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News, Technology, Entertainment, Sports, P…
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dtnext.inSatyamev Jayate, Supreme Court motto linked to Upanishads, Mahabharata: NCERT textbook
New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) The new class 9 social science textbook links mottos of several modern Indian institutions, such as ‘Satyamev Jayate’ and ‘Yato Dharmastato Jayah’, to the Upanishads, the Mahabharata and other texts. The NCERT book, ‘Understanding Society India and Beyond-Part 2’, was released on Tuesday, six months after the new academic session […]
Not just ‘divine swords’, NCERT textbook resurrects BJP theory on Sengol for Nehru
The theory of the Sengol symbolising the transfer of power has been contested by many including the Congress, academic Rajmohan Gandhi, and historian Aditya Mukherjee who is an authority on the freedom struggle
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