NEW DELHI: Union Education Minister R Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday called upon the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to pay greater attention to the mental well-being of students. He also directed it to meet the deadline for releasing the revised Class X to XII textbooks currently being prepared.
Speaking at the 66th Foundation Day celebrations of NCERT in Delhi, Joshi said, “Even Class VI, VII and VIII students are committing suicides. This is because children are being put under pressure to score high marks. They should not face any stress.”
Calling for a supportive system for students, Joshi said it could be created through “appropriate curricular interventions, psychosocial support and teacher training”.
The revised NCERT books for Classes X to XII are being prepared on “a mission mode”, he said, urging the council to meet the deadline for their release. “Do it within time and ensure it reaches every student in time,” he said.
Highlighting NCERT’s push for multilingual education, Joshi said textbooks for Grades 1 to 8 had been published in 22 languages for the first time. A total of 122 primers have also been released in different Indian languages, including 93 tribal languages.
Lauding the quality of NCERT books, Joshi said there was a huge amount of trust associated with them, built over six decades. Aspirants for numerous competitive examinations, including the UPSC, study NCERT books, he added.
Joshi said NCERT had also made significant advances in digital education, with its programmes reaching lakhs of learners and teachers through 200 DTH television and YouTube channels. He called upon NCERT to further strengthen its research ecosystem, with greater emphasis on evidence-based practices.
Robotics learning centre
Aspirants for numerous competitive examinations, including the UPSC, study NCERT books, Joshi said. He also inaugurated a robotics learning centre & translation Lab.