The Students Islamic Organisation of India strongly condemned the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) for revising its Class 7 history textbooks and removing references to the Mughals and the Delhi Sultanate, calling it a case of “saffronisation” and “distortion” of educational content.
The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has reportedly revised its Class 7 history textbooks by removing references to the Mughals and the Delhi Sultanate, and introducing content on dynasties reflecting the “Indian ethos,” along with references to the Maha Kumbh and Union government initiatives.
The student group criticised the removal, arguing they were “critical in shaping Indian society, culture, and politics,” and their complete erasure signals an “unprecedented assault on historical truth.”
“This is not academic revision; this is saffronisation—a deliberate attempt to communalise education, distort history, and mould young minds to serve the ideological interests of the ruling right-wing,” the statement read.
The SIO also expressed concern over what it called the “disproportionate glorification” of religious pilgrimages such as the Char Dham Yatra, Jyotirlingas, and Shakti Peethas in the revised textbooks.
“Instead of presenting a balanced view of India’s diverse past, the textbooks now disproportionately glorify religious pilgrimages like the Char Dham Yatra, Jyotirlingas, and the Shakti Peethas,” said the statement.
It is alleged that the books now promote a sanitised version of the varna-jati system, falsely portraying it as a source of “social stability,” thereby legitimising caste hierarchies and ignoring the centuries of oppression it engendered much before and beyond British colonialism.
The new textbook claims that the “varna-jati system” initially contributed to social stability but later became rigid, particularly under British rule, resulting in social inequalities.
“Instead of presenting a balanced view of India’s diverse past, the textbooks are promoting a singular narrative that sidelines centuries of pluralistic contributions and entrenched injustices,” the statement added.
The statement emphasised that “This is not academic revision; this is saffronisation—a deliberate attempt to communalise education, distort history, and mould young minds to serve the ideological interests of the ruling right-wing.”
The SIO urged students, teachers, historians, and concerned citizens to unite and resist what it described as the “systematic vandalism of education.”
The NCERT’s syllabus rationalisation in its textbooks has faced widespread criticism from various quarters, who have described the revamp as “saffronization,” aimed at aligning with the ruling party’s “agenda.”
Kerala Education Minister V. Sivankutty stated that the historical denial in NCERT textbooks would be raised at the Governing Council meeting in New Delhi in May.
He emphasised that altering historical events in textbooks is academically dishonest and deprives children of learning the real history, which could harm the educational sector.
 for revising its Class 7 history textbooks and removing references to the Mughals and the Delhi Sultanate, calling it a case of “saffronisation” and “distortion” of educational content.){kind=link}