PUNE: In an attempt to end the controversy regarding the deletion of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution from NCERT textbooks, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday said, "nothing of this sort has happened."
"A controversy is going on these days that Darwin's theory of evolution has been removed from science books by the NCERT and the periodic table has been left out, but I would like to state here publicly that nothing of this sort has happened," he said.
He said after the controversy broke out, he spoke to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), an autonomous body, which develops syllabi and prepares textbooks, and sought details.
"According to them, experts had advised that during COVID-19, some repetitive parts could be reduced and later brought back. So the content in Classes 8 and 9 is unchanged. In the book of Class 10, some portion related to the theory of evolution was omitted last year, and it is unchanged in Classes 11 and 12," he said.
The minister agreed that critics who claimed that the students who would not study science after Class 10 would miss out on some specific subjects related to Darwin's theory of evolution, which is a valid point.
"Periodic table is taught in Class 9 and is also being taught in Classes 11 and 12. As per the NCERT, one or two examples (related to the theory of evolution) were omitted. But I would like to assure you that the National Education Policy is being implemented, and as per that policy, new textbooks are being prepared," said Pradhan, who is in Pune to attend the G20 fourth Education Working Group meeting (EdWG) to be followed by G20 education ministers meet on June 22.
A furore erupted after it appeared that NCERT had removed Darwin’s theory and periodic table from the Class 10 textbook. The removal of the theory of evolution led to controversy as thousands of scientists, science teachers, and educators wrote an open letter raising concerns about the chapter on "Theory of Biological Evolution" being dropped from the NCERT textbook.
During the day, Pradhan, who also celebrated International Yoga Day here with G20 delegates and senior education ministry officials, also met several delegates on the sidelines of the fourth EdWG and education ministers meeting.
He met the UK’s Minister of State for Schools, Nick Gibb; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Deputy Secretary General; UNICEF’s Global Director of Education & Adolescent Development, Dr. Robert G Jenkins; and Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Tertiary Education, Science & Technology, Mauritius, Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun.