The new NCERT Class 8 Social Science textbook, released for the ongoing academic session, has sparked discussion for its notable omissions while attempting to provide a broader narrative on India under colonial rule. The book, titled ‘Exploring Society: Indian and Beyond’, covers India’s colonial period from the arrival of Vasco da Gama in the late 1400s to the end of the 1800s, focusing on the economic decline of India under British rule and the major resistance movements that challenged colonial power.
The revised chapter highlights India’s position as one of the wealthiest nations before the arrival of European powers, contributing nearly a quarter of the world’s GDP, and traces its decline to around 5% by the time of independence in 1947. It details how British economic policies, including the extraction of wealth and the exploitation of resources, led to the impoverishment of one of the richest lands in the world.
Focus on Economic Drain and Colonial Impact
The textbook discusses the ‘drain of wealth’ from India, citing a recent estimate of $45 trillion extracted by the colonisers from 1765 to 1938. It challenges the notion that the railways and telegraph systems were gifts from the colonial rulers, emphasising that these infrastructures were funded by Indian tax revenues and primarily served British strategic and commercial interests, adding to the burden on Indian peasants.
The book also documents the looting of India’s cultural heritage, including the theft of statues, paintings, manuscripts, and artefacts that were sent to European museums and private collections, describing it as a ‘massive theft’ that took place across much of the colonised world.
Notable Omissions and Educational Approach
Unlike the previous Class 8 Social Science textbook, the new edition does not mention Tipu Sultan, Haidar Ali, or the four Anglo-Mysore Wars of the 1700s, which were previously highlighted as significant resistances against the East India Company. The older book also included details about the Maratha resistance, which is not covered in the current edition.
When questioned about these omissions, Michel Danino, who chaired the NCERT group developing the textbook under the National Education Policy 2020 and National Curriculum Framework, explained that the Middle Stage curriculum (Classes 6-8) aims for a broad overview of Indian history, focusing on thematic learning rather than an exhaustive list of events and dates. He indicated that there might not be a mention of Tipu Sultan and the Anglo-Mysore Wars in Part 2 of the textbook either, as the chapters are yet to be finalised.
Danino clarified that the approach is intended to avoid overloading students with dates and events, and instead, focus on understanding the overall impact of colonial rule, with detailed explorations planned for the Secondary Stage (Classes 9-12), where students will engage with the complexities of colonial domination in depth.
The first part of the textbook, now in use, includes sections on resistance movements such as the Sannyasi-Fakir rebellion, the Kol uprising, the Santhal rebellion, and various peasant movements leading up to the 1857 rebellion, while focusing on the transition of the British from traders to rulers with events like the Battle of Plassey in 1757.
As NCERT continues with its curriculum updates in line with NEP 2020, the new approach reflects an effort to shift from event-heavy memorisation towards thematic and analytical understanding of India’s history under colonial rule, while also acknowledging the limitations of space and the need to maintain a balance in content for students in the Middle Stage.
