There is misleading propaganda about removing Darwin's theory from NCERT textbook: MoS Education

By Amit Kumar

New Delhi [India], April 29 : Minister of State (MoS) for Education Subhas Sarkar on Saturday said there was "misleading propaganda" about the removal of Darwin's Theory from the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) science textbook for class 10.

Subhas Sarkar's reaction came after more than 1,800 scientists, science teachers and educators have written an open letter recently raising concerns about the chapter on 'Theory of Biological Evolution' being dropped from the NCERT textbook for Class 10.

While talking to , Subhas Sarkar said, "It is a misleading propaganda to remove Darwin's Theory from the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) Curriculum."

"Due to Covid-19, rationalization of courses was going on, to reduce the burden of studies on the child. If a child wants to study, Darwin's Theory is available on all websites. In class 12, there is already Darwin's Theory in the syllabus so there should not be such false propaganda," MoS Education added.

As part of its curriculum rationalisation exercise, the NCERT had last year announced that the chapter 'Heredity and Evolution' will be replaced with 'Heredity' in the Class 10 science textbook.

Among the topics dropped from the chapter are 'Evolution', 'Acquired and Inherited Traits', 'Tracing Evolutionary Relationships', 'Fossils', 'Evolution by Stages', 'Evolution Should Not Be Equated With Progress' and 'Human Evolution'.

Recently more than 1,800 scientists, science teachers and educators including scientists from noted institutions such as the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) and IITs, among others have written an open letter recently raising concerns about the chapter on 'Theory of Biological Evolution' being dropped from the NCERT textbook for Class 10.