Emergency added to syllabus decades later under UPA

New Delhi

It took nearly 30 years for the Emergency declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to be included in NCERT political science textbooks, and it finally happened in 2007 during the Congress-led UPA government. The Emergency, marked by mass arrests and censorship, was added as part of the 2005 National Curriculum Framework revision.

Krishna Kumar, then NCERT chairman, said the topic was introduced in Class 12 textbooks under a chapter titled The Crisis of Democratic Order, which included political cartoons, excerpts from Indira Gandhi’s radio address, and newspaper clippings about arrests and censorship. Academics like Anita Rampal, involved in the curriculum development, emphasised that the inclusion happened without government interference.

Political scientists Yogendra Yadav and Suhas Palshikar, who helped draft the books, said the aim was to present unbiased facts about major political events, including the Emergency and anti-Sikh riots, regardless of which party was in power.

However, in 2023, during a curriculum revision by the BJP-led government, several pages covering the more controversial aspects of the Emergency were removed. These included critical paragraphs, details from the Shah Commission report, and cartoons showing political opposition. Both Yadav and Palshikar opposed the changes and asked NCERT to remove their names from the revised editions.

The Emergency, imposed on June 25, 1975, remains one of India’s most debated political events. Leaders across party lines agree students must learn about it, though how it is presented continues to stir debate.