The Ministry of Education (MoE) has instructed the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to review and update its textbooks on a yearly basis, as per sources familiar with the matter. While there was previously no specific directive regarding the frequency of textbook updates, NCERT has intermittently revised and refreshed content since 2017. A recent rationalization effort was also undertaken due to school closures during the pandemic, although some critics alleged biased editing practices.
“In today’s rapidly evolving world, it is imperative that our textbooks remain up-to-date. NCERT has been tasked with conducting yearly reviews and updating textbooks before the start of each new academic session… a formal system for this will be implemented soon,” a source disclosed. “NCERT textbooks should not remain stagnant for long periods. They should undergo annual reviews prior to printing, allowing for necessary changes or additions to be made, particularly in dynamic fields like Artificial Intelligence,” the source elaborated. Currently, NCERT is in the process of aligning textbooks with the New Curriculum Framework (NCF) introduced last year.
