Kolkata, 01 October (H.S.) : The West Bengal government has decided to implement significant changes to the state school curriculum starting January 2027. Under this major restructuring, the life, contributions, and legacy of Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee will feature prominently in school textbooks. Conversely, popular chapters related to state history and government schemes, such as the Singur land movement and the Kanyashree scheme, will be removed. State Education Minister Deepak Barman clarified that the syllabus committee is overseeing the entire process, and the changes will be officially approved once the final draft is submitted.

Professor (Dr) Debashis Chatterjee, chairman of the high level Syllabus cum Curriculum Committee, stated that references to Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, the prominent Bengali leader who founded the Bharatiya Jana Sangh in 1951, will be included at the beginning of textbooks across all classes. He mentioned that an article on Dr Mookerjee will be placed at the start of all books to ensure every student learns about him. Prior to this initiative, the state higher education department had already directed all state supported schools, colleges, and universities to incorporate Dr Mookerjee's contributions into their academic programs and organize outreach events to familiarize the younger generation with his legacy.

The chapter on the Singur movement against land acquisition, which was led by former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee against the Left Front government's Tata Motors project, is being dropped from the Class 8 history textbook. This chapter was added in 2017 during the tenure of the previous Trinamool Congress government. Additionally, lessons on the Kanyashree scheme, launched in 2013 to improve the lives and education of adolescent girls, will be removed from the health and hygiene books for classes 6 to 8. Professor Chatterjee confirmed these removals.

The proposed modifications extend beyond specific chapters to include revisions in Bengali language and literature. According to Professor Chatterjee, several words less commonly used in everyday Bengali will be removed or replaced. For instance, the word pani for water will be replaced with jol, and changes will also be made to words like amma and abba. In secondary level literature, Rabindranath Tagore's poem 'Africa' will be replaced by his work 'Shivaji Utsab'. Chatterjee explained this change by stating that upholding traditional values and cultures is crucial when discussing the vision of a developed India or 'Viksit Bharat'. Similarly, Sachindranath Sengupta's play 'Sirajuddaula' will be replaced by Dwijendralal Ray's 'Mebar Patan'.

The syllabus committee has also proposed cuts to sections related to Communism and the Mughal era. Instead, there will be a greater emphasis on historical figures associated with India's freedom struggle. The committee chairman argued that while students have spent years memorizing who built the Taj Mahal and the names of their ancestors and grandchildren, they remain largely unaware of those who sacrificed their lives for the country's freedom because they are barely mentioned in history books. According to the committee, several Bengali and English language chapters have already been forwarded to the state government for final approval, with the remaining sections expected to be submitted soon.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh