'Mughals were here for 330 years...': Congress MP criticises NCERT syllabus revisions by centre in Lok Sabha

During the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, opposition parties clashed with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over recent amendments to the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) syllabus.  

The arguments erupted during a debate around the demand for grants for the education ministry, which subsequently passed through a voice vote without amendments.  

Asaduddin Owaisi, Member of Parliament for the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), strongly criticised the BJP-led central government for altering existing textbooks.

He said, “A direct connection can be drawn between government policies and the continued educational backwardness of Muslims. Both in higher education and schooling, Muslims seek formal education, but due to government apathy, they experience higher dropout rates than other communities.”   

Congress MP Mohammad Jawed echoed Owaisi’s sentiments, arguing that simply removing references to Mughal history from textbooks will not erase their significant presence in India.

“Mughals were here for 330 years; they won’t disappear just because you delete their names,” he remarked, emphasising the historical impact of Muslim contributions to India.

He also criticised the government over recent paper leak controversies, stating, “Outside Parliament, test papers are getting leaked, and inside Parliament, the roof is leaking.”   

In addition to the syllabus amendments, opposition members challenged the government on the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan defended the NEP, asserting that it is grounded in principles of accountability, affordability, accessibility, equity, and quality. He highlighted a significant increase in funding for education since 2013-14, with spending on higher education rising by 63% and on primary education by 40%. Pradhan emphasized that the NEP represents a philosophical framework aimed at rebuilding India and fostering global brotherhood.  

Responding to criticisms regarding the NCERT syllabus changes, Pradhan remarked, “Western influence in the Indian education system has to be removed.”

He asserted that the nation embraces the NEP and is not merely a document but a tool for addressing global challenges.  

BJP MP Sambit Patra accused the opposition, particularly the Congress, of hypocrisy concerning reservations, stating that quotas for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) were eliminated during previous Congress administrations at institutions like Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University. “The Congress will have to answer for this,” Patra said, while highlighting the government's allocation of ₹1.48 lakh crore to education.